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.
