Acragas: The “Most Beautiful City of Mortals”
In the 5th century BCE, the Greek poet Pindar described Acragas (modern-day Agrigento) as the “most beautiful city of mortals.” Located on the southern coast of Sicily, it was a jewel of Magna Graecia—the “Great Greece” established by colonists in Italy and Sicily.
Acragas was more than just a city; it was a testament to the staggering wealth, architectural ambition, and cultural confidence of the Greek colonial experiment.
1. The Rise of a Sicilian Powerhouse
Founded around 580 BCE by settlers from Gela and Rhodes, Acragas occupied a strategic position. Perched on a high ridge overlooking the Mediterranean, it was protected by steep cliffs and fertile plains.
The city’s wealth was built on two pillars:
• Agriculture: The surrounding land was incredibly productive, famous for its vast olive groves and vineyards.
• Trade: Acragas exported its oil and wine to Carthage and North Africa, amassing a fortune that made its citizens legendary for their luxury. It was said that the people of Acragas “built as if they would live forever and ate as if they would die tomorrow.”
2. The Valley of the Temples
The most enduring legacy of Acragas is the Valley of the Temples (Valle dei Templi). Despite the name, the structures sit on a ridge, not a valley, serving as a massive religious skyline that would have been visible to sailors miles out at sea.
Architectural Marvels
• Temple of Concord: One of the best-preserved ancient Greek temples in the world, largely due to its conversion into a Christian church in the 6th century CE. Its perfect Doric proportions are a masterclass in Classical architecture.
• Temple of Olympian Zeus: Designed to be the largest Doric temple ever built. Although it was never finished and now lies in ruins, its scale was gargantuan, featuring Telamones—massive stone figures (colossi) that acted as structural supports.
• Temple of Hera (Juno): Perched at the highest point of the ridge, still bearing the reddish stains of the fires set during the Carthaginian conquest.
3. Empedocles: The Philosopher-Citizen
Acragas was the birthplace of one of the most eccentric and brilliant minds of antiquity: Empedocles.
A philosopher, scientist, and poet, Empedocles is credited with the Four-Element Theory. He proposed that all matter is composed of four “roots”:
1. Earth
2. Air
3. Fire
4. Water
He argued that these elements are brought together or pulled apart by two cosmic forces: Love and Strife. Legend says he met his end by leaping into the crater of Mount Etna to prove his divinity.
4. Conflict and Conquest
The golden age of Acragas was marred by the constant threat of Carthage, the North African superpower just across the sea.
• Battle of Himera (480 BCE): Under the tyrant Theron, Acragas allied with Syracuse to crush a massive Carthaginian invasion, securing decades of peace and prosperity.
• The Sack of 406 BCE: The city’s luck eventually ran out. After an eight-month siege, the Carthaginians captured and looted Acragas. Though it was later rebuilt and eventually fell under Roman rule (renamed Agrigentum), it never quite regained its 5th-century splendor.
5. Acragas Today: A UNESCO Treasure
Today, the ruins of Acragas form one of the largest and most significant archaeological sites in the world. It is a UNESCO World Heritage site, drawing thousands who come to walk the sacred paths of the ancient ridge.
The site remains a powerful symbol of the Doric style—sturdy, imposing, and harmonious. Walking through the remains of the massive walls and towering columns, one can still feel the “megalomania” and artistic brilliance that Pindar so admired.
Acragas stands as a reminder that the heart of Greek culture often beat strongest far from Athens, in the sun-drenched colonies of the West.