The public places of Agrigentum

The gods of Agrigento

Unfortunately, there is little evidence of the cults professed in the city of Agrigentum.
According to Cicero, Demeter and Persephone were the most venerated goddesses in Sicily: it is therefore very probable that the cult of Ceres and Proserpina, their Latin names, continued even in the late Roman age, though there is no archaeological evidence of continued use of the great sanctuary dedicated to the Chthonic Deities built in the classical age.
Gli dei di AgrigentoThe importance of this cult could be reinforced by the fact that the Eleusinian Mysteries , mysterious cults dedicated to the two goddesses, spread to Rome and found a large number of followers until the middle imperial age, especially in the cities of Magna Graecia.
Inside a domus of the Hellenistic-Roman quarter, in fact, a small arula dating back to the imperial age and dedicated to Demeter was found.
From the accounts left by Cicero, we can deduce that there was a temple dedicated to Hercules in Agrigentum, not far from the forum, where a beautiful statue of the God was kept, worn away in some areas because of kisses from worshippers.
We are unsure if the temple of which Cicero speaks was the same one that is identified with this name in the Archaeological Park of the Valley of the Temples.
Tempio di EracleIn any case, it is from the temple of Hercules that a statue of Asclepius dating from the Augustan age comes, which testifies to the use of the place in Roman times.

The centre of politics in Agrigentum

Vegetation in the Gardens

A Sanctuary for the Latin gods

The forum in the city of the Akragantines

The sarcophagus of the Child

Breathing in world heritage together

The gods of Agrigento

The theatre of origins

From Akragas to Agrigentum

The provincial layout of Sicily

The cult of the Emperor

Roman affairs

The life of young people in Roman times

Moments of leisure: the theatre

The domus, guardians of private life

Cicero’s account: Agrigentum in In Verrem

The tomb of Theron

The ancient port of Agrigentum

The Hellenistic-Roman quarter

The Roman necropolis

An exceptional discovery: the thermal baths of Agrigentum

The Oratory of Phalaris

The Kolymbetra Garden

Politics comparison: Akragas and Agrigentum

Hellenistic heritage on the streets of Agrigentum

The Living Almond Museum

The Romans settle in Agrigentum

Works for the muses: the mosaics of the Hellenistic-Roman quarter

Mens sana in corpore sano: the gymnasium of Agrigento

The Punic Wars and the final conquest of Akragas

The wellness centres of the Romans

The driver of Agrigentum’s well-being