Misenum

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History

According to mythology, Misenum was named after Misenus, a companion of Hector and trumpeter to Aeneas. Misenus is supposed to have drowned near here after a trumpet competition with the sea-god Triton, as recounted in Virgil's Aeneid.

In 38 BC, Misenum was the site where a short-lived pact was made between Octavian (heir of Julius Caesar, who later became the emperor Augustus), and his rival Sextus Pompeius.

In ancient times, Misenum was the largest base of the Roman navy, since its port ("Portus Julius") was the base of the "Classis Misenensis", the most important Roman fleet. It was first established as a naval base in 27 BC by Marcus Agrippa, the right-hand man of the emperor Augustus.

With its gorgeous natural setting close to the naval base and the nearby important Roman cities of Puteoli and Neapolis, Misenum became the site of Roman luxury villas.

, who was also resident in Misenum at the time.

In fiction

Misenum is one of the main settings in Robert Harris' novel "Pompeii", whose protagonist, Attilius, works as at the "Piscina Mirabilis" (the terminal reservoir into which the "Aqua Augusta" aqueduct emptied).