Acragas

Acragas (Lat. Agrigentum, modern Agrigento—until 1927 Girgenti), one of the richest and most famous of the Greek cities in Sicily, founded c.580 BC on the south-west coast by a colony from nearby Gela. It first came to power under the tyrant Phalaris and continued to prosper under the tyrant Theron. After Theron's death his son Thrasydaeus was overthrown and a democracy established in which the philosopher Empedocles took part. The democracy continued until Acragas was sacked by the Carthaginians in 406. It revived to some extent in the time of Timoleon (d. c.334 BC) but suffered badly in the Punic Wars. In the time of the Roman governor Verres it was again wealthy, and with the rest of Sicily received full Roman citizenship after Julius Caesar's death in 44 BC.