Naples: the City of the Sun and Parthenope

Nicola Scafetta

doi:10.6093/978-88-6887-242-7

Naples: the City of the Sun and Parthenope: the role of astronomy, mythology and Pythagoras in the urban planning of Neapolis

Authors

Nicola Scafetta

University of Naples Federico II

https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0967-1911

DOI: https://doi.org/10.6093/978-88-6887-242-7

Keywords:

Archaeoastronomy, Greek Mythology, Pythagorean Cosmology, Neapolis, Ancient urban planning

Synopsis

Editor: FedOA -Federico II University Press

Series: Cavoliniana. Monographies of the Società dei Naturalisti in Napoli

Page: 213

Language: English

NBN: http://nbn.depositolegale.it/resolver.pl?nbn=urn:nbn:it:unina-30133

Abstract: This essay delves into the most intimate secret of Naples through an archaeoastronomical inquiry. It demonstrates that religious and philosophical motivations were central to the urban planning of its ancient Greek centre, Neapolis, constructed in the 6^th- 5^th centuries BC by Cumaeans and other Greek colonists. The design of the city's streets and its distinctive geographical-astronomical orientation evoked the cults of Apollo (the Greek Sun-god) and Parthenope (the local Numen, who reminds the mythical Sibyl of Cumae) on solstices and equinoxes. Neapolis' street grid was also inspired by Pythagorean cosmology, as it was designed with golden ratio and decagonal proportions. These elements combined to make Neapolis a perfect microcosm, or better yet, a temple-city centred on the cult of the Sun and Parthenope. Finally, the city’s religious traditions likely increased the public impact of the martyrdom of Saint Januarius, facilitating the Christianization of Naples in the 4^th century AD. Naples’ ancient streets, culture, and Cathedral still preserve the legacy of Neapolis' solar traditions in their geometries, symbols, hymns, sweets, mosaics, and relics.

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Author Biography

Nicola Scafetta, University of Naples Federico II

Nicola Scafetta graduated in Physics from the University of Pisa and obtained a PhD in the same field from the University of North Texas in 2001. From 1998 to 2014, he carried out scientific research in the USA in the Physics Departments of the following centres: the University of North Texas, Duke University, the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill, the University of North Carolina in Greensboro, and Elon University. At the above locations, he also held courses in physics and astronomy. Moreover, he was a member of NASA's associated Active Cavity Radiometer Irradiance Monitor (ACRIM), which focuses on the study of solar radiation. He is currently a Professor at the Department of Earth, Environmental and Resource Sciences of the University of Naples Federico II in the disciplinary sector GEO/12 (Physics of the Atmosphere and Oceanography). He is the author of several monographs and of more than 160 scientific articles published in international journals. His studies focus mainly on complex systems and statistical physics, with applications to climatology and the interaction between solar variability and climate. He has also authored works on biophysics, econophysics, sociology, and archaeoastronomy.