[1] From Late Lat. _cultivare_, through _cultivus_, from _colere_, to
till, cultivate; whence _cultus_, worship, form of religion, cult.
CUMAE (Gr. [Greek: Kyme]), an ancient city of Campania, Italy, about 12
m. W. of Neapolis, on the W. coast of Campania, on a volcanic eminence,
overlooking the plain traversed by the Volturno.
There are many legends as to its foundation, but even the actual period
of its colonization by the Greeks is so early (ancient authorities give
it as 1050 B.C.) that there is some doubt as to who established it,
whether Chalcidians from Euboea or Aeolians from [Greek: Kyme] (Cyme),
and it should probably be regarded as a joint settlement. It was
certainly, as Strabo says, the oldest of the Greek colonies on the
mainland of Italy or in Sicily. Livy tells us (viii. 22) that the
settlers first landed on Pithecusae (Ischia) and thence transferred
their position to the mainland, which seems a probable story. We find it
in 721 B.C. founding Zancle (Messina) in Sicily jointly with Chalcis,
and it extended its power gradually over the coast of the Gulf of
Puteoli and the harbours of the promontory of Misenum. Puteoli itself
under the name Dicaearchia was probably founded by Cumae. In the 7th
century, according to the legends, Parthenope, whither the demos of
Cumae had taken refuge after an unsuccessful rising against the
aristocracy, was attacked by the latter and destroyed, but soon rebuilt
under the name of Neapolis (New City, the present Naples).[1] The most
fertile portion of the Campanian plain was also under its dominion; the
name "fossa Graeca" still lingered on in 205 B.C. to testify to its
ancient limits. Cumae was now at the height of its power, and many fine
coins testify to its prosperity. In 524 B.C. it was the object of a
joint attack by the Etruscans of Capua, the Daunians of the district of
Nola, and the Aurunci of the Mons Massicus. A brilliant victory was,
however, won in the hilly district outside the town, largely owing to
the bravery of Aristodemus, who then led a force to the relief of
Aricia, which was being attacked by the Etruscans, and, returning at the
head of his victorious army, overturned the aristocracy and made himself
tyrant, but was ultimately murdered by the aristocrats. These were
unable to repel a renewed Etruscan attack without the help of Hiero of
Syracuse, who in the battle of Cumae of 474 B.C. drove the Etruscan
fleet from the sea, and broke their power in Campania.
The Samnites finally destroyed the Etruscan supremacy by the capture of
Capua in the latter half of the 5th century (see CAPUA; CAMPANIA), and
the Greeks of Cumae were overwhelmed by the same invasion, either in 420
B.C. (Livy iv. 44) or in 421 (Diodor. Sic. xii. 76), if his statement is
drawn from Greek sources, 428 if it is to be dated by the Roman consuls
to whose year he ascribes it. This catastrophe brought to an end the
beautiful series of Greek coins from the town (B. V. Head, _Historia
Numorum_, p. 31), and Oscan became its language, though in many respects
the Greek character of the town survived (Strabo v. 4. 3, and the other
references given by R. S. Conway, Italic _Dialects_, p. 84). One or two
inscriptions in Oscan survive (id. ib. 88-92), one of which is a Iovila
or heraldic dedication. The date of the general disuse of Oscan in the
town appears to be fixed about 180 B.C. by the request (Livy xl. 44)
which the Cumaeans addressed to Rome that they might be allowed to use
Latin for public purposes. Cumae now ceased to have any independent
history. It came under the supremacy of Rome in 343 (or 340) as Capua
did, obtained the _civitas sine suffragio_ and was governed after 318 by
the _praefecti Capuam Cumas_. (R. S. C.)
In the Hannibalic wars it remained faithful to Rome. It probably
acquired civic rights in the Social War and remained a _municipium_
until Augustus established a colony here. Under the empire it is spoken
of as a quiet country town, in contrast to the gay and fashionable
Baiae, which, however, with the _lacus Avernus_ and _lacus Lucrinus_,
formed a part of its territory. Cicero's villa on the east bank of the
latter, for example, which he called the Academia, was also known as
Cumanum. In the Gothic wars the acropolis of Cumae was, except Naples,
the only fortified town in Campania, and it retained its military
importance until it was destroyed by the Neapolitans in 1205, since,
which time it has been deserted.
The acropolis hill (269 ft. above sea-level), a mass of trachyte which
has broken through the surrounding tufa, lies hardly 100 yds. from the
low sandy shore. It is traversed by caves, which are at three different
levels with many branches. Some of them may belong to a remote date,
while others may be quarries, but they have not been thoroughly
investigated. They are famous in legend as the seat of the oracle of the
Cumaean Sibyl.
The acropolis has only one approach, on the south-east; on all other
sides it falls away steeply. Remains of fortifications of all ages run
round the edge of the hill; some of the original Greek work, in finely
hewn rectangular tufa blocks, exists on the east. The medieval line
follows the ancient, except on the N.E., where it takes in a larger
area.
Within the acropolis stood the temple of Apollo, erected, according to
tradition, by Daedalus himself, the remains of which, restored in Roman
times, were discovered in 1817, on the eastern and lower summit. On the
higher western summit stood another temple, excavated in 1792, but now
covered up again. This may be that of the Olympian Zeus (Liv. xxvii.
23).
There are also various remains of buildings of the imperial period, and
these are far more frequent on the site of the lower town (now occupied
by vineyards) which lies below the acropolis to the south. The line of
the city walls can be traced both on the E. and on the W., though the
remains on the E. are insignificant, and on the W. (the seaward side)
only the scarping of the hill remains. To the S. of the town, just
outside the wall, is the amphitheatre. To the N. of it is the point
where the roads from Liternum (the Via Domitiana running along the sandy
coast), Capua (a branch of the Via Campana), Misenum and Puteoli meet.
The last passes through the Arco Felice, an arch of brick-faced concrete
63 ft. high which spans a cutting through the Monte Grillo, made by
Domitian to shorten the course of the road, which had hitherto run
farther north. The Grotto della Pace leads to the shores of Avernus. On
the E. side of Cumae are considerable remains of the Roman period, among
them those of the temple of Demeter, as restored by the family of the
Lucceii.
The cemeteries of Cumae extended on all sides of the ancient city,
except towards the sea, but the most important lay on the north, between
this temple and the Lago di Licola. Excavations during the 19th century
in Greek, Samnite and Roman graves have produced many important objects,
now in the various museums of Europe, but especially at Naples. Recent
discoveries in this necropolis (including that of a circular archaic
tomb with a conical roof) have led to considerable discussion as to the
true date of the foundation of Cumae, and have made it clear that, in
any case, a pre-Hellenic indigenous settlement existed here--a result of
great importance.
See J. Beloch, _Campanien_ (Breslau, 1890), 145 seq.; G. Pellegrini,
_Monumenti dei Lincei_, xiii. (1903); G. Patroni, _Atti del Congresso
di Scienze Storiche_ (1904), vol. v. p. 215 seq. (T. As.)