Cumae

Quick Facts: Who was Cumae?

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Cumae

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Ancient Greek colony and rich Roman city in Campania, Italy.

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Origins & Early Life

Cumae ( KEW-mee; Ancient Greek: Κύμη, romanized: Kúmē, or Κύμαι, Kúmai, or Κύμα, Kúma; Italian: Cuma) was the first ancient Greek colony of Magna Graecia on the mainland of Italy and was founded by settlers from Euboea in the 8th century BCE. It became a rich Roman city, the remains of which lie in and around modern Cuma, an area divided between the neighboring comuni (municipalities) of Pozzuoli and Bacoli, in the Metropolitan City of Naples, Campania. The archaeological museum of the Phlegraean Fields in the Aragonese Castle contains many finds from Cumae. The oldest archaeological finds by Emilio Stevens in 1896 date to 900–850 BC and more recent excavations have revealed a Bronze Age settlement of the "pit-culture" people, and later dwellings of Iron Age Italic peoples whom the Greeks referred to by the names Ausones and Opici (whose land was called Opicia). The Greek settlement was founded in the 8th century BCE by emigrants from cities of Eretria and Chalcis in Euboea, next to an Opician settlement.

Career & Major Achievements

The Greeks were already established at nearby Pithecusae (modern Ischia) and were led to Cumae by the joint oecists (founders): Megasthenes of Chalcis and Hippocles of Cyme. The site chosen was on the hill and later acropolis of Monte di Cuma surrounded on one side by the sea, and on the other by particularly fertile ground on the edge of the Campanian plain. While continuing their maritime and commercial traditions, the settlers of Cumae strengthened their political and economic power by exploitation of the land and extended their territory at the expense of neighbouring peoples. The colony thrived and in the 8th century BCE it was already strong enough to send Perieres to found Zancle in Sicily, and another group to found Tritaea in Achaea, Pausanias was told. Cuma established its dominance over almost the entire Campanian coast up to Punta Campanella over the 7th and 6th centuries BCE, gaining sway over Puteoli and Misenum.

Enduring Legacy & Impact

The colony spread Greek culture in Italy and introduced a dialect of Greek, and the Euboean alphabet, a variant of which was adapted and modified by the Etruscans and then re‑adapted by the Romans and became the Latin alphabet, still used worldwide today. According to Dionysius of Halicarnassus, Cumae was at that time celebrated throughout all Italy for its riches, power, and all the other advantages, as it possessed the most fertile part of the Campanian plain and was mistress of the most convenient havens round about Misenum. The growing power of the Cumaean Greeks led many indigenous tribes of the region to organise against them, notably the Dauni and Aurunci with the leadership of the Capuan Etruscans. This coalition was defeated by the Cumaeans in 524 BCE at the first Battle of Cumae under the direction of Aristodemus. The glorious victories of the colony increased its prestige, so much so that according to Diodorus Siculus, it was usual to associate the whole region of the Phlegraean Fields with Cumaean territory.

Chronological Milestones & Life Events

1. 1896: 1896 Milestone — The oldest archaeological finds by Emilio Stevens in 1896 date to 900–850 BC and more recent excavations have revealed a Bronze Age settlement of the "pit-culture" people, and later dwellings of Iron Age Italic peoples whom the Greeks referred to by the names Ausones and Opici (whose land was called Opicia).

Historical Fact-Check Quiz: Cumae

True or False: “The Etruscans directly adopted the Euboean alphabet without any modification before passing it to the Romans.”

Answer (FALSE ❌): The text states that the Euboean alphabet was adapted and modified by the Etruscans before being re-adapted by the Romans.

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