Parthenope is the name of an Ancient Greek settlement, where Naples, Italy is located today. This colony was created in the 8th century B.C and played an important role in establishing civilizations that would soon become the Roman Empire.  In the poem Beachy Head, the author Charlotte Smith briefly mentions the location in a stanza talking about the Normans, who conquested from Scandinavia to Trinacria (Sicily) and eventually took over Naples, which at this time was referred to as Parthenope.