The birth of Akragas

The walls of Akragas in the fifth century BC

At the beginning of the 5th century BC, perhaps during the city’s renovation by the tyrant Theron, there were interventions to strengthen the fortifications.
The main objective of this building phase was to increase secure conditions by strengthening the defences.
The most significant additions were made to Porta I, where an important tenaille was built to defend the weakest point of the hollow where it stood. In the same area, works to channel and collect water from the aquifers saved it the city walls surrounding the sacred area and the Temple of Demeter.
Porta V also underwent interventions to increase its security. Its dimensions were reduced considerably to ensure its defence in a more stable way, and it was fitted with robust pillars that would increase its monumental effect.
In the same period, in the Santuario delle Divinità Ctonie (Sanctuary of the Chthonic Deities), the beaten earth floor was replaced by an opus signinum floor.

Empedocles, the political philosopher

The Eleusinian mysteries

The most beautiful city of mortals

Sacrifices for the goddesses that made the fields fertile

The Kolymbetra Garden

The walls of Akragas in the fifth century BC

Akragas in the beginning

A monument for the victory over Carthage: the Temple of Olympian Zeus

The Sanctuary of Asclepius: a place of welcome for the sick

The Temple of Heracles

The Temple of Asclepius

The Temple of Concordia

From pagan cults to Christian worship: the Church of St. Gregory

The Temple of Demeter

Vegetation in the Gardens

The cult of Demeter and Persephone

The lively decorations of the temple

The Temple of Hera Lacinia

The Twelve Labours of Heracles

Phalaris, the terrible tyrant

The sanctuary of the chthonic deities

Reinforcement of natural ramparts

The Akragas building sites

Theron, tyrant of the arts and victories