Italy

Temple of Heracles, Agrigento

Archaic Greek temple in Agrigento, 6th century BCE

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Historical Context

About

The Temple of Heracles or Temple of Hercules (the Roman name of the hero) is an ancient Greek temple of Magna Graecia in the ancient city of Akragas, located in the Valle dei Templi in Agrigento, Italy. The building, in the archaic Doric style, is found on what is known as the hill of the temples, on a rocky spur near Villa Aurea. The name Temple of Heracles is an attribution of modern scholarship, based on Cicero's mention of a temple dedicated to the hero non longe a foro "not far from the agora" (Verrine II 4.94), containing a famous statue of Heracles. That the agora of Akragas was in this area has not yet been demonstrated, but the identification is generally accepted. This temple is located approximately one kilometer to the west of Temple of Concordia.

Paleolithic
Mesolithic
Neolithic
Chalcolithic
Bronze Age
Iron Age
Classical Period
Post-Classical Period
Early Modern Period
Industrial Period
Contemporary Period
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Historical Timeline

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Traditional foundation

late 6th century BCE

Foundation relative to Battle of Himera

before 480 BCE

First cymatium phase

c. 460s BCE

Second cymatium phase

mid-5th century BCE

Roman-period modifications

Roman period

Late antique closure

4th–5th centuries CE

Possible Theron-era association

488–473/2 BCE

20th-century restoration

20th century

Classification

Archaeological Features

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Public and Civic Structures

PlazasMarketplaces
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Religious and Ritual Structures

TemplesAltarsPronaosOpisthodomosNaos (cella)
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Artistic and Decorative Features

StatuesEntablatureCymatiaCapitalsColumns
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Reference

Details

Country

Italy

Coordinates

37.29° N, 13.59° E