Cumae and Environs

    Map of Cumae and environs. Cumae is where Aeneas goes to visit his father in the underworld in Aeneid Book 6. The entrance and exit from the underworld are both located around Lake Avernus (Avernus Lacus). Caieta is mentioned by Vergil in Aeneid 6.900-901 as a port named for Aeneas's nurse. 

    Ancient coastline and elevation data supplied by the Ancient World Mapping Center.

    Comments

    Aeneid 6.1-5

    Sīc fātur lacrimāns, classīque immittit habēnās

    et tandem Euboïcīs Cūmārum adlābitur ōrīs.

    Obvertunt pelagō prōrās; tum dente tenācī

    ancora fundābat nāvīs et lītora curvae

    praetexunt puppēs. 

    Aeneid 6.201-204

    Inde ubi vēnēre ad faucēs grave olentis Avernī,

    tollunt sē celerēs liquidumque per āëra lāpsae

    sēdibus optātīs geminā super arbore sīdunt,

    discolor unde aurī per rāmōs aura refulsit.

    Aeneid  6.232-235

    At pius Aenēās ingentī mōle sepulcrum

    impōnit suaque arma virō rēmumque tubamque

    monte sub āëriō, quī nunc Mīsēnus ab illō

    dīcitur aeternumque tenet per saecula nōmen.

    Aeneid 6.900-901

    Tum sē ad Cāiētae rēctō fert līmite portum.

    Ancora dē prōrā iacitur; stant lītore puppēs.

    Aeneid 7.1-4

    Tu quoque litoribus nostris, Aeneia nutrix,

    aeternam moriens famam, Caieta, dedisti;

    et nunc seruat honos sedem tuus, ossaque nomen

    Hesperia in magna, si qua est ea gloria, signat.


    Caieta: a town in Latium. It was situated on a promontory opposite to the city of Formiae, and forms the northern extremity of the extensive bay anciently called the Sinus Caietanus, and still known as the Golfo di Gaeta. (Smith)

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    Map
    License
    Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike
    Date
    June 2015
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