Herculaneum, named after the legendary hero Hercules, was a small town in Campania, located about 8 km southeast of present-day Naples. With its modest harbor, Herculaneum became a favored holiday retreat for wealthy landowners, thanks to its excellent climate and stunning seaside position. The largest villa, known as the Villa of the Papyri, is believed to have belonged to L. Calpurnius Piso Caesoninus, Julius Caesar’s father-in-law.
The town’s origins remain somewhat obscure, but its name and organized urban planning suggest a possible connection to the Greek settlement at Naples. However, the primary languages spoken in Herculaneum were Oscan and later Latin, both native Italic languages. This indicates that what may have started as a Greek foundation eventually became “Italicised” through conquest and assimilation. In the fourth century BC, Herculaneum was part of the Samnite league but later allied with Rome, siding with the Italian allies during the Social War (91-87 BC).
Oplontis, located near Pompeii, is best known for the opulent Roman Villa Poppaea, which is open to visitors. Like Herculaneum, Oplontis was buried under volcanic ash during the catastrophic eruption of Mount Vesuvius on August 24, AD 79.
Originally, the name “Oplontis” likely referred to the baths in the area of Campo Oncino, but it now encompasses a collection of villas in the modern town of Torre Annunziata. The Villa Poppaea, associated with Poppaea Sabina, the second wife of Emperor Nero, was excavated from the mid-20th century until 1984.
In 1974, a second villa, the Villa of L. Crassius Tertius, was discovered during the construction of a school, located 300 meters east of the Villa Poppaea. A bronze seal bearing Crassius’s name was found at the site. Numerous artifacts from Oplontis are preserved in the Naples National Archaeological Museum, offering a glimpse into the grandeur of ancient Roman life.
