μετὰ δὲ Δικαιάρχειάν ἐστι Νεάπολις Κυμαίων (ὕστερον δὲ καὶ Χαλκιδεῖς ἐπῴκησαν καὶ Πιθηκουσσαίων τινὲς καὶ Ἀθηναίων, ὥστε καὶ Νεάπολις ἐκλήθη διὰ τοῦτο), ὅπου δείκνυται μνῆμα τῶν Σειρήνων μιᾶς Παρθενόπης, καὶ ἀγὼν συντελεῖται γυμνικὸς κατὰ μαντείαν. ὕστερον δὲ Καμπανῶν τινας ἐδέξαντο συνοίκους διχοστατήσαντες, καὶ ἠναγκάσθησαν τοῖς ἐχθίστοις ὡς οἰκειοτάτοις χρήσασθαι, ἐπειδὴ τοὺς οἰκείους ἀλλοτρίους ἔσχον. μηνύει δὲ τὰ τῶν δημάρχων ὀνόματα τὰ μὲν πρῶτα Ἑλληνικὰ ὄντα, τὰ δʼ ὕστερα τοῖς Ἑλληνικοῖς ἀναμὶξ τὰ Καμπανικά. πλεῖστα δʼ ἴχνη τῆς Ἑλληνικῆς ἀγωγῆς ἐνταῦθα σώζεται, γυμνάσιά τε καὶ ἐφηβεῖα καὶ φρατρίαι καὶ ὀνόματα Ἑλληνικὰ καίπερ ὄντων Ῥωμαίων. νυνὶ δὲ πεντετηρικὸς ἱερὸς ἀγὼν συντελεῖται παρʼ αὐτοῖς μουσικός τε καὶ γυμνικὸς ἐπὶ πλείους ἡμέρας, ἐνάμιλλος τοῖς ἐπιφανεστάτοις τῶν κατὰ τὴν Ἑλλάδα. ἔστι δὲ καὶ ἐνθάδε διῶρυξ κρυπτή, τοῦ μεταξὺ ὄρους τῆς τε Δικαιαρχείας καὶ τῆς Νεαπόλεως ὑπεργασθέντος ὁμοίως ὥσπερ ἐπὶ τὴν Κύμην, ὁδοῦ τε ἀνοιχθείσης ἐναντίοις ζεύγεσι πορευτῆς ἐπὶ πολλοὺς σταδίους· τὰ δὲ φῶτα ἐκ τῆς ἐπιφανείας τοῦ ὄρους, πολλαχόθεν ἐκκοπεισῶν θυρίδων, διὰ βάθους πολλοῦ κατάγεται. ἔχει δὲ καὶ ἡ Νεάπολις θερμῶν ὑδάτων ἐκβολὰς καὶ κατασκευὰς λουτρῶν οὐ χείρους τῶν ἐν Βαίαις, πολὺ δὲ τῷ πλήθει λειπομένας· ἐκεῖ γὰρ ἄλλη πόλις γεγένηται, συνῳκοδομημένων βασιλείων ἄλλων ἐπʼ ἄλλοις, οὐκ ἐλάττων τῆς Δικαιαρχείας. ἐπιτείνουσι δὲ τὴν ἐν Νεαπόλει διαγωγὴν τὴν Ἑλληνικὴν οἱ ἐκ τῆς Ῥώμης ἀναχωροῦντες δεῦρο ἡσυχίας χάριν τῶν ἀπὸ παιδείας ἐργασαμένων ἢ καὶ ἄλλων διὰ γῆρας ἢ ἀσθένειαν ποθούντων ἐν ἀνέσει ζῆν· καὶ τῶν Ῥωμαίων δʼ ἔνιοι χαίροντες τῷ βίῳ τούτῳ, θεωροῦντες τὸ πλῆθος τῶν ἀπὸ τῆς αὐτῆς ἀγωγῆς ἐπιδημούντων ἀνδρῶν, ἄσμενοι φιλοχωροῦσι καὶ ζῶσιν αὐτόθι.
After Dicaearchia is Neapolis, Innumerable accounts exist relative to the foundation of this city. The most prevalent fiction was that the siren Parthenope was cast upon its shores, and from her it derived the name, by which it was usually designated by the ancient poets. Sirenum dedit una suum memorabile nomen / Parthenope muris Acheloïas: aequore cujus / Regnavere diu cantus, quum dulce per undas / Exitium miseris caneret non prospera nautis. / Scymnus of Chios mentions both the Phocaei and Cumaei as its founders. Stephanus of Byzantium attributes its foundation to the Rhodians; their proximity is favourable to the claims of the Cumaei, and hence the connexion of Naples with Euboea, alluded to by Statius, who was born there. At te nascentem gremio mea prima recepit / Parthenope, dulcisque solo tu gloria nostro / Reptasti; nitidum consurgat ad aethera tellus / Eubois, et pulchra tumeat Sebethos alumna. / A Greek inscription mentions a hero named Eumelus as having had divine honours paid to him, possibly as founder of the city. [See Capaccio, Hist. Nap. p. 105. Martorelli de’ Fenici primi abitatori di Napoli.] This may illustrate the following lines,— Di patrii, quos auguriis super aequora magnis / Littus ad Ausonium devexit Abantia classis, / Tu ductor populi longe emigrantis Apollo, / Cujus adhuc volucrem leva cervice sedentem / Respiciens blande felix Eumelis adorat. / originally] by the Cumaei, but afterwards being peopled by Chalcidians, and certain Pithecussaeans and Athenians, it was on this account denominated Naples. Here is pointed out the tomb of Parthenope, one of the sirens, and a gymnastic sport is celebrated by command of an oracle. In course of time the inhabitants, having disagreed amongst themselves, admitted certain Campanians; thus being forced to regard in the light of friends those most inimical to them, since their friends were hostile. This is proved by the names of their demarchi, the earlier of which are Grecian, but the latter a mixture of Campanian with the Grecian names. Many traces of Grecian institution are still preserved, the gymnasia, the ephebeia, the fratriae, and the Grecian names of people who are Roman citizens. At the present time they celebrate, every fifth year, public games for music and gymnastic exercises during many days, which rival the most famous games of Greece. There is here a subterranean passage, similar to that at Cumae, extending for many stadia along the mountain, between Dicaearchia and Neapolis: it is sufficiently broad to let carriages pass each other, and light is admitted from the surface of the mountain, by means of numerous apertures cut through a great depth. Naples also has hot springs and baths not at all inferior in quality to those at Baïae, but much less frequented, for another city has arisen there, not less than Dicaearchia, one palace after another having been built. Naples still preserves the Grecian mode of life, owing to those who retire hither from Rome for the sake of repose, after a life of labour from childhood, and to those whose age or weakness demands relaxation. Besides these, Romans who find attractions in this style of life, and observe the numbers of persons dwelling there, are attracted by the place, and make it their abode.
Ἐχόμενον δὲ φρούριόν ἐστιν Ἡράκλειον ἐκκειμένην εἰς τὴν θάλατταν ἄκραν ἔχον, καταπνεομένην λιβὶ θαυμαστῶς ὥσθʼ ὑγιεινὴν ποιεῖν τὴν κατοικίαν. Ὄσκοι δὲ εἶχον καὶ ταύτην καὶ τὴν ἐφεξῆς Πομπηίαν ἣν παραρρεῖ ὁ Σάρνος ποταμός, εἶτα Τυρρηνοὶ καὶ Πελασγοί, μετὰ ταῦτα δὲ Σαυνῖται· καὶ οὗτοι δʼ ἐξέπεσον ἐκ τῶν τόπων. Νώλης δὲ καὶ Νουκερίας καὶ Ἀχερρῶν, ὁμωνύμου κατοικίας τῆς περὶ Κρέμωνα, ἐπίνειόν ἐστιν ἡ Πομπηία, παρὰ τῷ Σάρνῳ ποταμῷ καὶ δεχομένῳ τὰ φορτία καὶ ἐκπέμποντι. ὑπέρκειται δὲ τῶν τόπων τούτων ὄρος τὸ Ὀυέσουιον, ἀγροῖς περιοικούμενον παγκάλοις πλὴν τῆς κορυφῆς· αὕτη δʼ ἐπίπεδος μὲν πολὺ μέρος ἐστίν, ἄκαρπος δʼ ὅλη, ἐκ δὲ τῆς ὄψεως τεφρώδης, καὶ κοιλάδας φαίνει σηραγγώδεις πετρῶν αἰθαλωδῶν κατὰ τὴν χρόαν, ὡς ἂν ἐκβεβρωμένων ὑπὸ πυρός, ὡς τεκμαίροιτʼ ἄν τις τὸ χωρίον τοῦτο καίεσθαι πρότερον καὶ ἔχειν κρατῆρας πυρός, σβεσθῆναι δʼ ἐπιλιπούσης τῆς ὕλης. τάχα δὲ καὶ τῆς εὐκαρπίας τῆς κύκλῳ τοῦτʼ αἴτιον, ὥσπερ ἐν τῇ Κατάνῃ, φασί, τὸ κατατεφρωθὲν μέρος ἐκ τῆς σποδοῦ τῆς ἀνενεχθείσης ὑπὸ τοῦ Αἰτναίου πυρὸς εὐάμπελον τὴν γῆν ἐποίησεν. ἔχει μὲν γὰρ τὸ λιπαῖνον καὶ τὴν ἐκπυρουμένην βῶλον καὶ τὴν ἐκφέρουσαν τοὺς καρπούς· πλεονάζουσα μὲν οὖν τῷ λίπει πρὸς ἐκπύρωσιν ἐπιτηδεία, καθάπερ ἡ θειώδης πᾶσα, ἐξικμασθεῖσα δὲ καὶ λαβοῦσα σβέσιν καὶ ἐκτέφρωσιν εἰς καρπογονίαν μετέβαλε. συνεχὲς δέ ἐστι τῇ Πομπηίᾳ τὸ Συρρεντὸν τῶν Καμπανῶν, ὅθεν πρόκειται τὸ Ἀθήναιον, ὅ τινες Σειρηνουσσῶν ἀκρωτήριον καλοῦσιν· ἔστι δὲ ἐπʼ ἄκρῳ μὲν Ἀθηνᾶς ἱερόν, ἵδρυμα Ὀδυσσέως. διάπλους δʼ ἐνθένδε βραχὺς εἰς Καπρέας νῆσον. κάμψαντι δὲ τὴν ἄκραν νησῖδές εἰσιν ἔρημοι πετρώδεις ἃς καλοῦσι Σειρῆνας. ἐκ δὲ τοῦ πρὸς Συρρεντὸν μέρους ἱερόν τι δείκνυται καὶ ἀναθήματα παλαιὰ τιμώντων τῶν πλησίον τόπον. μέχρι μὲν δεῦρο ἔχει τέλος ὁ κόλπος ὁ κρατὴρ προσαγορευόμενος, ἀφοριζόμενος δυσὶν ἀκρωτηρίοις βλέπουσι πρὸς μεσημβρίαν, τῷ τε Μισηνῷ καὶ τῷ Ἀθηναίῳ. ἅπας δʼ ἐστὶ κατεσκευασμένος τοῦτο μὲν ταῖς πόλεσιν ἃς ἔφαμεν, τοῦτο δὲ ταῖς οἰκοδομίαις καὶ φυτείαις, αἳ μεταξὺ συνεχεῖς οὖσαι μιᾶς πόλεως ὄψιν παρέχονται.
Following this is the fortress of Heraclaeum, built upon a promontory which projects out into the sea, and which, on account of the prevalence of the south-west wind, is a very healthy spot. The Osci originally possessed both this and Pompeia, which is next to it, by which the river Sarno flows; afterwards the Tyrrheni and Pelasgi, and then the Samnites obtained possession of them, and the last in their turn were driven from these regions. Pompeia is the port for Nola, Nuceria, and Acerrae, which bears the same name as the city near to Cremona. It is built on the river Sarno, by which merchandise is received and exported. Above these places is Mount Vesuvius, which is covered with very beautiful fields, excepting its summit, a great part of which is level, but wholly sterile. It appears ash-coloured to the eye, cavernous hollows appear formed of blackened stones, looking as if they had been subjected to the action of fire. From this we may infer that the place was formerly in a burning state with live craters, which however became extinguished on the failing of the fuel. Perhaps this [volcano] may have been the cause of the fertility of the surrounding country, the same as occurs in Catana, where they say that that portion which has been covered with ashes thrown up by the fires of Aetna is most excellent for the vine. The land about Vesuvius contains fat, and a soil which has been subjected to fire, and is very strong and productive of fruit: when this fat superabounds, it is apt, like all sulphurous substances, to take fire, but being dried up by evaporation, extinguished, and pulverized, it becomes a productive earth. Adjoining Pompeia is Surrentum, [a city] of the Campanians, from whence the Athenaeum, called by some the promontory of the Sirenuae, projects [into the sea]; upon its summit is the temple of Minerva, founded by Ulysses. From hence to the island of Capreas the passage is short; after doubling the promontory you encounter various desert and rocky little islands, which are called the Sirenusae. On the side towards Surrentum there is shown a temple with the ancient offerings of those who held this place in veneration. Here is the end of the bay named Crater, which is bounded by the two promontories of Misenum and the Athenaeum, both looking towards the south. The whole is adorned by the cities we have described, by villas, and plantations, so close together that to the eye they appear but one city.
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