Cumae in History

An ancient city and Greek colony of south-central Italy near present-day Naples. Founded c. 750 B.C., it is the earliest Greek settlement known in Italy. Cumae adopted Roman culture after the second century B.C. and gradually declined as neighboring cities rose to power.
Cumae was founded in the 8th century BC by a group of colonists from Chalcis and is among the most ancient archaeological sites in Italy. The area was inhabited from Iron age times and almost certainly since the Bronze age.

Remains of the Acropolis walls of Cumae dating from the 5th century BC in the Greek period are still visible together with rebuilding work from the Samnite period up to the Roman triumviral period. Inside the urban area are the remains of the Apollo Temple, the Temple of Jupiter, the Roman crypt, the remains of a majestic thermal baths from the Imperial age, the amphitheatre and the Forum which has recently been excavated. There are also several tombs of Greek and Roman citizens.
This area is the oldest archaeological site in Italy; the town was founded in the 8th century B.C. by a group of Greek colonists. The Acropolis still has its 5th century B.C. walls, and comprises the Temple of Apollo, the Temple of Jupiter, the famous Grotto of the Sibilla, the Roman crypt, the remains of an impressive thermal baths and the Amphitheatre.