The Greek engravings found on the gymnasium seats are a fundamental key to understanding the atmosphere in Agrigentum where the Greek roots of the city in the Augustan age were still very present.
The inscriptions confirm the presence of flamines in the city and the area’s use for sports: they are dedicated to Heracles and Hermes, protective deities of the gymnasium.
The seats of the gymnasium of Agrigento, of the Augustan age, have been obtained with blocks of limestone cut in a regular way and with the typical yellow ochre colouration. They were located at the end of the gymnasium’s open track and were probably reserved for magistrates or prominent figures in the city. Today they are located in the cloister at the entrance to the Pietro Griffo Regional Archaeological Museum. On the back of the seats there are Greek inscriptions dedicated to Heracles and Hermes, protectors of the gymnasium, which demonstrate the persistence of Greek culture in Agrigentum.
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MiC – Ministero della Cultura
Legge 77/2006 - Misure Speciali di Tutela e Fruizione dei Siti Italiani di Interesse Culturale, Paesaggistico e Ambientale, inseriti nella “Lista Del Patrimonio Mondiale”, posti sotto la Tutela dell’ UNESCO Regione Siciliana.
Assessorato dei Beni Culturali e dell’Identità Siciliana, Dipartimento dei Beni Culturali e dell’Identità Siciliana.
Parco archeologico della Valle dei Templi di Agrigento.
