Photo Series – Gulf of Naples

One of our images has the “Statua di Augusto” (Augustus Caesar) looking out over the panoramic view of the Gulf of Naples and towards the island of Capri, one of his favorite spots.  After his great uncle Julius Caesar was assassinated in 44BC, Augustus, along with Mark Antony and Marcus Lepidus, became the Second Triumvirate ruling Rome.  The three were a military force controlling the entire Roman Empire. The First Triumvirate was an alliance that Caesar and Pompey the Great who were both military and Marcus Crassus, the richest man in Rome. had formed as a workaround to bypass the Roman Senate.

Augustus became the Frist Emperor of Rome in 27BC and founded the “Pax Romana”.  Meaning Roman Peace, it was a period of stability and prosperity lasting until the last of the “Five Good Emperors”, Marcus Aurelius, died in 180 AD.  Pax Romana was a golden age of the Roman Empire with a growing military, economic boom with a trade and growth friendly government, massive infrastructure projects such as the Colosseum, Aqueducts and Roman Roads. Although the Appian Way, a Queen Road, began construction in 312 BC Rome's Military built the majority of the empire's roads in the first and second centuries AD.

Our other images are of Mt Vesuvius as it towers over Naples, and the coast looking towards the Sorrento Peninsula.  Most know Vesuvius and its eruption in 79 AD burying the city of Pompeii in volcanic ash.  The ash buried Pompei, as well as Herculaneum and other lesser-known towns in the area, preserving them and providing an almost untarnished look into history.  In this era, Naples, Pompeii and Herculaneum were major ports facilitating shipping and trade supporting Rome. The coastline has changed but shipping and trade still play an important role in Naples today.

Check out the Naples Portfolio on our website for more images.

Naples