Founded circa 582 BCE by Greek settlers from Gela, Akragas quickly rose to prominence as one of the most influential cities of the ancient Greek world. The city reached its zenith in the 5th century BCE under the rule of Theron, whose ambitious public works and grand temple construction solidified Akragas' status as a major cultural and political center.

Though the city experienced periods of decline, particularly during the Punic Wars, it regained significance under Roman rule. By the Republican era, Agrigentum had become one of Sicily’s largest urban centers. During the Principate, its economy thrived through trade, agriculture, and sulfur mining, aided by its strategic port. Archaeological evidence suggests economic stability persisted into the 3rd and 4th centuries CE, though activity waned after the 7th century.

Jewish communities in Agrigentum date back to Pope Gregory the Great's reign, with conversions recorded in the 6th century CE. The Cairo Geniza (circa 1060 CE) also references Agrigentine Jews. However, Jewish life in the city ended following the 1492 expulsion of Jews from Spanish-ruled Sicily.

Agrigento is the birthplace of several prominent figures, including Empedocles (5th century BCE), the pre-Socratic philosopher, and Luigi Pirandello (1867–1936), the Nobel Prize-winning dramatist. Recognized for its historical significance, Agrigento was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1997 and named Italy’s Capital of Culture for 2025.

circa 70-80 CE

Origins and Early Development
Akragas was founded in circa 582–580 BCE on a plateau overlooking the Mediterranean Sea, flanked by the Hypsas and Acragas rivers. These natural features, along with a ridge connecting Colle di Girgenti to Rupe Atenea, provided a strategic location for settlement. According to Thucydides, Greek colonists from Gela, with additional settlers from Crete and Rhodes, established the city. The oikistai (founders), Aristonous and Pystilus, led the colony, making it one of the last major Greek settlements in Sicily.

Akragas quickly expanded, controlling territory between the Platani and Salso rivers, extending into the Sicilian interior. While Greek sources emphasize military campaigns, archaeological evidence suggests a gradual process of territorial consolidation. Greek influence reached indigenous Sican communities, evident at sites like Monte Sabbucina, Gibil-Gabil, and Mussomeli, where elements of Greek culture were adopted. The city’s prosperity stemmed from its control of overland trade routes, particularly the passage between Akragas and Himera, which linked the Straits of Sicily to the Tyrrhenian Sea. Plato famously observed the city's extravagant lifestyle, remarking that its people "built as if they would live forever, but feasted as if each day was their last." Around 520 BCE, Akragas became one of the first Sicilian cities to mint its own coinage, reflecting its economic strength.

The Rule of the Tyrants
The city came under the rule of the tyrant Phalaris around 570 BCE. He was later immortalized in Greek tradition as a cruel despot who executed victims using the bronze bull, a torture device supposedly invented by Perillos of Athens. His reign lasted until approximately 550 BCE, after which little is known about the city’s leadership except for two figures, Alcamenes and Alcander. By the early 5th century BCE, Akragas had expanded westward, leading to conflicts with Selinus, another Greek colony. Around 500 BCE, the Acragantines seized Heraclea Minoa, a strategic site at the Platani River's mouth, intensifying their dominance in Sicily.

The Emmenid Dynasty and Akragas' Golden Age
In 488 BCE, Theron of the Emmenid family seized power and aligned with Gelon of Syracuse. Around 483 BCE, he conquered Himera, provoking a Carthaginian invasion in 480 BCE. The Battle of Himera, where Theron and Gelon decisively defeated Carthage, secured Akragas' dominance over 3,500 square kilometers of Sicilian territory. The city entered its golden age, marked by monumental construction, including the colossal Temple of Olympian Zeus, built partly by Carthaginian prisoners of war, and the Kolymbethra reservoir, a vast artificial basin.

Theron actively promoted Akragas’ presence in the Greek world, sponsoring athletes in the Olympic Games and commissioning Pindar and Simonides to compose victory odes celebrating the city. After Theron’s death in 472 BCE, his son Thrasydaeus was overthrown by Hiero I of Syracuse, leading to the establishment of an oligarchic republic controlled by the local aristocracy.

Conflict and Decline in the Classical Period
The mid-5th century BCE saw internal political shifts, with a brief rule by an oligarchic faction known as "the Thousand." Around 451 BCE, Ducetius, a Sicel leader resisting Greek expansion, seized Motyum, an Acragantine outpost. Although Syracuse later captured Ducetius, Akragas opposed his lenient treatment and waged war against Syracuse, leading to a defeat on the Salso River. The setback weakened Akragas, halting its coinage production for a time.

At its height, ancient sources claim the city had a population between 200,000 and 800,000, though modern estimates suggest a more realistic figure of 30,000–40,000. Akragas remained neutral during the Athenian Sicilian Expedition (415–413 BCE) but suffered a catastrophic Carthaginian invasion in 406 BCE, resulting in widespread destruction. The city never regained its former prominence, although Timoleon's campaigns in the late 4th century BCE led to a revival.

Hellenistic and Roman Rule
During the 3rd century BCE, a tyrant named Phintias briefly ruled Akragas, establishing a short-lived kingdom. However, during the First Punic War (264–241 BCE), the city became a battleground between Rome and Carthage. The Romans captured Akragas in 261 BCE, enslaving its population. Although the Carthaginians retook it in 255 BCE, Rome regained control in 210 BCE, renaming it Agrigentum.

Despite its diminished status, Agrigentum remained an important Roman center. Scipio Africanus Minor gifted the city a statue of Apollo by Myron, placed in the Temple of Asclepius, symbolizing Agrigentum’s loyalty in the Third Punic War. Cicero, writing in the 1st century BCE, described Agrigentum as a major Sicilian city with a significant population of Roman citizens and Greek inhabitants, highlighting its economic role and judicial importance. By the 2nd century CE, Septimius Severus elevated Agrigentum to the rank of a Roman colony ("Colonia Septimia Augusta Agrigentorum").

Late Antiquity and the Medieval Period
A Christian community thrived in Agrigentum until the 7th century CE, when trade disruptions caused by the Arab conquest of Carthage (698 CE) led to decline. After the collapse of the Western Roman Empire, the city passed under the Vandals, Ostrogoths, and Byzantines. By the early Middle Ages, most of the population relocated from the lower city to the former acropolis, likely due to coastal raids. In 828 CE, Arab forces captured Agrigentum, renaming it Kirkant (كِركَنت) or Jirjant (جِرجَنت). The Norman conquest of Sicily in 1087 led to the restoration of Latin Christian rule, with Count Roger I establishing a bishopric. The Normans also constructed the Castello di Agrigento to secure the area. During the medieval period, the population remained small, with slow recovery in later centuries.

Modern Era and Contemporary Identity
During the Expedition of the Thousand (1860 CE), locals supported Giuseppe Garibaldi, leading to Agrigentum's incorporation into unified Italy. In 1927, Benito Mussolini imposed the Italianized name Agrigento, a decision still controversial due to its association with Fascism. In 2016, following a proposal by Andrea Camilleri, the city's historic center was restored to its Sicilian name, Girgenti. Agrigento endured heavy Allied bombing in World War II, yet remains a significant cultural and archaeological site. Today, the city is renowned for its Valle dei Templi, preserving its legacy as one of the greatest Greek cities of Magna Graecia.

circa 550 BCE-

Valley of the Temples
The ancient city of Akragas spans a vast area, much of which remains unexcavated. Its most renowned archaeological zone is the so-called Valle dei Templi ("Valley of the Temples"), a misleading name since the site is actually located on a ridge rather than a valley. This sacred district, situated on the southern edge of the city, was home to seven monumental Doric temples built between the late 6th and 5th centuries BCE. Today, these temples rank among the largest and best-preserved examples of ancient Greek architecture outside of Greece and have been recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The best-preserved structures are two remarkably similar temples traditionally attributed to Hera and Concordia, though no definitive evidence supports these identifications. The Temple of Concordia remains particularly intact due to its conversion into a Christian church in 597 CE. Both temples follow a peripteral hexastyle design, featuring six columns along the façade. The area surrounding the Temple of Concordia was later repurposed as an early Christian burial site, with rock-cut tombs carved into the cliffs and outcrops.