The monumentalization of Akragas

Theron, tyrant of the arts and victories

Theron was ruler of Agrigento from 488 BC to 472 BC. He was the young heir of the Emmenidae, an aristocratic family that originated from the Rhodian founders of Akragas.
Like Phalaris, he ruled for sixteen years, but his tyranny was so inspired by the ideals of justice that he made Akragas powerful and famous throughout the entire Mediterranean Basin.
In his palace he lived surrounded by poets such as Bacchylides and Pindar , who saw him as a guardian of Greek tradition against the threat of the Punics, because in the Battle of Himera he had defeated the Carthaginians.
Under Theron’s rule, Akragas reached the height of its beauty: great temples, new systems for channelling water and even a large pool that looked like a swimming pool were built!
According to Diodorus Siculus , during this period the city became so rich and powerful that it participated in the prestigious Panhellenic Games in Olympia, Greece. It was in this ancient city that in 476 BC  Theron's horses won an Olympic competition that led Pindar to dedicate two odes to them.
During Theron’s reign, many vineyards were also planted, from which the Akragantine people began to obtain and trade wine.

Akragas in the beginning

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

The most beautiful city of mortals

Phalaris, the terrible tyrant

The Twelve Labours of Heracles

Reinforcement of natural ramparts

The Temple of Asclepius

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

Vegetation in the Gardens

The Akragas building sites

The Eleusinian mysteries

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

The Temple of Demeter

Theron, tyrant of the arts and victories

The cult of Demeter and Persephone

The walls of Akragas in the fifth century BC

The sanctuary of the chthonic deities

The Kolymbetra Garden

The Temple of Heracles

The lively decorations of the temple

Sacrifices for the goddesses that made the fields fertile

The Temple of Concordia

The Temple of Hera Lacinia

Empedocles, the political philosopher