Have you ever noticed that Neapolitans are called partenopei? Behind this word there is a siren, and with her the myth with which Naples tells the story of its own birth. We fell in love with this story and went looking for the traces the siren has left in the city. Here is what we discovered.
Who was Parthenope
In Greek mythology Parthenope was one of the sirens, creatures with an irresistible song who lured sailors onto the rocks. Ancient sources disagree about her family: for some she was the daughter of Phorcys, for others of the river god Achelous and a muse, such as Melpomene. Her best-known sisters were Ligeia and Leucosia.
Beware of the image of sirens we have today: in the Greek world they were depicted as bird-women, not with fish tails. The fish-tailed siren is an idea that took hold mainly later, in the Middle Ages.
Ulysses and the end of the sirens
The best-known myth is linked to Ulysses. Warned of the danger, the hero had his companions' ears stopped with wax and had himself tied to the ship's mast so he could listen to the song without giving in. Defeated for the first time, the sirens, according to tradition, threw themselves into the sea in despair.
Parthenope's body, carried by the waves, reached the coast of Campania: according to some versions on the islet of Megaride, where Castel dell'Ovo stands today, according to others near the mouth of the Sebeto river. The local inhabitants buried her and worshipped her, and from then on her name remained linked to that stretch of sea.
From myth to history: Parthenope and Neapolis
Behind the legend lies a true story. At the end of the 8th century BC, Greeks from Cumae founded a first settlement on the hill of Pizzofalcone and the surrounding area overlooking the sea: they called it Parthenope, just like the siren.
In the 5th century BC, a little further east, a new city was born, Neapolis, meaning "new city", while the first settlement lived on as Palaepolis, the "old city". The cult of the siren remained at the heart of civic life: the Athenian admiral Diotimus strengthened it by establishing a torch race in her honour, the lampadedromia, famous throughout the ancient world. Archaeological research places the sanctuary of Parthenope in the area of today's Piazza Nicola Amore.
Where to find the siren in the city
Parthenope is still everywhere, starting with names: Via Partenope, on the seafront, runs right in front of Castel dell'Ovo. Virgil too, in his famous epitaph, called Naples by the siren's name.
One stop we recommend in the historic centre is the Fontana della Spinacorona, set against the church of Santa Caterina della Spina Corona. It shows the siren putting out the flames of Vesuvius with the water flowing from her breasts, which is why Neapolitans also call it the "fontana delle zizze" (the fountain of the breasts). The version you see today is a copy: the original statue is in the Museo di San Martino.
Getting there and when to go
The places linked to the siren are best visited on foot: you can start from the seafront and Castel dell'Ovo, climb up towards Pizzofalcone and then move on to the historic centre for the fountain. We recommend spring or autumn, when the weather makes walking pleasant. For museums and monuments, check opening hours and tickets on the official website before you go.
Nearby
To plan your visit, start from our guide Naples and its surroundings. The natural sequel to this story is The legend of Castel dell'Ovo, while to see finds from Greek Naples we recommend The National Archaeological Museum of Naples (MANN). To get to know the ancient city beneath your feet, read Visiting Underground Naples, and for the colony where it all began there is The Archaeological Area of Cumae.
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