The Sun.
London, England, 1853-05-05 00:00:00

EXCA rATIONS AT CUMA.

NAPLES, APRIL 18.
The antiquarian discoveries which are now taking
place at Cuma continue to attract archaeoligists of all
countries to the classical site of this once important city.
A Cumaan literature is also rapidly forming, and many
learned brothers are at this moment employed in writing
their reflections on the interesting objects which have
been brought to light. I shall confine myself to a simple
narrative of what has been accomplished and what has
been found, leaving the antiquarian poetry to be done

by a more worthy hand.
It is necessary, in the first place, to remind the reader
that Cuma is one of the most ancient of those cities which
the eastern world founded on the shores of the Mediter-
ranean. History tells us, that the Cumaans held con-
stant communication with Osci, and, indeed, a few days
since, a vase was found, which I have seen, with Oscan
characters thereon. Its Greek occupation was probably
its most brilliant period, and it is in the Greek tombs
that the most interesting and valuable objects are found,
such as coloured glass bottles, gold rings, scarabmi,
terra-cotta vases, &c. Pliny tells us that, during the
second Punic war, Cuma united her fortunes with Rome,
and was still an important city ; hence we have a Roman
period of art, the remains of which are now being brought
to light, together with those of preceding periods. Even-
tually, Cuma was abandoned for Baia, and towards the
close of the Roman Empire became a comparatively
neglected city. Such is a brief outline of the history of
Cuma.
In modern times this City of the Sibyl became inte-
resting from the discovery of a Jupiter Stator in the
Giant's Temple, and in 1606 Cardinal Acquiviva exca-
vated at Cuma a temple indicating a good period of Greek
art. A few years since, the Neapolitan Government,
under the direction of Signor Bonnucci, excavated the
Temple of Apollo, referred to by Virgil, the celebrated
cave leading to Lake Avernus, the amphitheatre, and an
adjacent temple. Lord Vernon, I am told, also made
some partial excavations at Cuma about the same tme.
It is chiefly to the necropolis that kis Royal High-
ness the Prince of Syracuse is now directing his atten-
tion. The tombs trace, so to speak, nearly 3,000 years,
and indicate the religion, art, and civilisation of that
period. These resting places of the dead occur at various
levels, and are built of tufo stone, which the volcanic
nature of the district supplied plentifully to the ancients,
as it now does to the moderns. Near the surface of the
earth are found the Roman tombs, below which are the
Greek, and again beneath them the graves of the earliest
Eastern emigrants. What a store of antiquarian trea-
sure is here deposited !
Towards the close of last year, his Royal Highness
employed some 50 workmen to excavate at Cuma.
One of the earliest discoveries was a temple of the
Roman period, but very fine. It would appear, from
the position in which the marble fragments were found,
that this building was destroyed by earthquake. The
frieze, pillars, and Corinthian capitals, have been re-
moved to the garden of the Prince's palace in Naples ;
and I believe it is his Royal Highness's intention to re-
store the temple, as very little is wanting to complete it.
foundSeveralroa yfts: therein
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Quoranto, another archaeologist, opposes this
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and the discussion is yet going on hot and fast.
The Prince has formed, in ii
a rare cabinet of the objects
s ownfou palace at Naples,
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served some wonderful coloured glass,
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Then there
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collection
of
Etruscan vases, but not generally large,
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portant. Some very fine scarabmi have alsovery been
found, and other small objects of luxury ; tributes ofn
affection so commonly deposited in Pagan tombs. Al-
together, this is perhaps the largest contribution which
has ever been got together from a Greco-Italic city ;
and when the Prince has completed his work, the
objects found will form a valuable illustration of history.
It would be impossible, in a letter of this character, to
attempt any details ; I therefore refer the curious to a
periodical new publishing in Naples, entitled, Fiorelli'a
litonumenti Antichi Cumani.
The excavations are now suspended on account of the
advancing summer, but they will be recommenced in
the autumn, under the intelligent direction of a Prince,
whose taste and liberality are alike praiseworthy and
Ipirited.—Correspondent of a Horning Paper.

FIRE AT A LICENSED VICTUALLERS, AND SERIOUS
ACCIDENT.—Last evening a fire broke out in the White
Horse Tavern, the property of Mr. J. Provis, situate at
No. 50, Brick-lane, St. Luke s. It was caused by a
candle falling into a cask in the cellar, which ignited
two or three gallons of ruin and fired several casks.
Mr. Provis at once made an attempt to subdue the
flames, but in so doing we regret to state that he was
very seriously burned. Other persons living in the
house fortunately succeeded in extinguishing the flames
before the arrival of the fire-eugiues.