Napoli : 2020 Coppa Italia Champions & Hercules

A few weeks ago, Napoli won the 2020 Coppa Italia vs Juventus, a match we call the Hercules Derby. Juventus is named after Juventas, the goddess of youth who eventually became the wife of Hercules (Herakles).

But what does Napoli have to do with Hercules? The city of Naples was originally a Greek city called Neapolis, and another city called Herculaneum was built next to it. Herculaneum was, as its name suggests, a city dedicated to Hercules.

Herculaneum, which was right next to Pompei, was destroyed when Mount Vesuvius erupted. Much of the city was preserved and can still be visited today. For a full documentary on Herculaneum, head to our page about Hercules. For movies/series that feature Hercules, just head over to our movies section.

Below we will look at some documentaries about Hercules. Various zodiac signs involve Hercules, he features in stories like Jason & the Argonauts, and he even played a role in the foundation of the Olympics. References to him are everywhere, including modern sports teams like Heracles Almelo in Holland and Iraklis basket in Greece.