AGRIGENTUM, in Ancient Geography , a city of Sicily, part of the site of which is now occupied by a town called Girgenti, from the old name. Sec Girgenti. According to ancient authors, Daedalus, the most famous mechanician of fabulous antiquity, fled to this spot for protection against Minos, and built many wonderful edifices for Cocalus, king of the island. Long after his flight, the people of Gela sent a colony hither 600 years before the birth of Christ, and, from the name of a neighbouring stream, called the new city Acragas, whence the Romans formed the word Agrigentum. These Greeks converted the ancient abode of the Siculi into a citadel to guard the magnificent city which they erected on the hillocks below. An advantageous situation, a free government with all its happy effects, and an active commercial spirit, exalted their commonwealth to a degree of riches and power unknown to the other Greek settlements, Syracuse alone excepted. But the prosperity of Agrigentum appears to have been but of short duration, and tyranny soon destroyed its liberties. Phalaris was the first who reduced it to slavery. His name is familiar to most readers on account of his cruelty, and the brazen bull in which he tortured his enemies. Sec Phalaris. Phalaris met with the common fate of tyrants, and after his death the Agrigentines enjoyed their liberty for 150 years; at the expiration of which term Thcro usurped the sovereign authority. The moderation, justice, and valour of this prince preserved him from opposition while living, and have rescued his memory from the obloquy of posterity. He joined his son-in-law Gelo, king of Syracuse, in a war against the Carthaginians; in the course of which victory attended all his steps, and Sicily saw herself for a time delivered from her African oppressors. Soon after his decease, his son Thrasydeus was deprived of the diadem, and Agrigentum restored to her old democratical government. Ducetius next disturbed the general tranquillity. He was a chief of the mountaineers, descendants of the Siculi; and was an overmatch for the Agrigentines while they were unsupported by alliances, but sunk under the weight of their union with the Syracusans. Some trifling altercations dissolved this union, and produced a war, in which the Agrigentines were worsted, and compelled to submit to humiliating terms of peace. Resentment led them to embrace with joy the proposals of the Athenians, then meditating an attack upon Syracuse. Their new friends soon made them feel that the sacrifice of liberty and fortune would be the price of their protection, and this consideration brought them speedily back to their old connections. But, as if it had been decreed that all friendship should be fatal to their repose, the recon ciliation and its effects drew upon them the anger of the Carthaginians. By this enemy their armies were routed, their city taken, their race almost extirpated, and scarce a vestige of magnificence was left. Agrigentum lay 50 years buried Under its own ruins, when Timoleon, after triumphing over the Carthaginians, and restoring liberty to Sicily, collected the descendants of the Agrigentines, and sent them to re-establish the dwellings of their forefathers. Their exertions were rewarded with astonishing success; for Agrigentum rose from its ashes with such a renewal of vigour, that in a very short time we find it engaged in the bold scheme of seizing a lucky moment, when Agathocles and Carthage had reduced Syracuse to the lowest ebb, and arrogating to itself supremacy over all the Sicilian republics. Xenodicus was appointed the leader of this arduous enterprise; and had his latter operations been as fortunate as his first campaign, Agrigentum would have acquired such a preponderance of reputation and power, that the rival states would not have even dared to attack it. But a few brilliant exploits were succeeded by a severe overthrow·; the Agrigentines lost courage, disagreed in council, and humbly sued for peace to Agathocles. This commonwealth afterwards took a strong part with Pyrrhus, and, when he left Sicily to the mercy of her enemies, threw herself into the arms of Carthage. During the first Punic war Agrigentum was the headquarters of the Carthaginians, and was besieged by the Roman consuls, who, after eight months’ blockade, took it by storm. It nevertheless changed masters several times during the contest between these rival states, and in every instance,suffered most cruel outrages. After this period very little mention of it occurs in history, nor do we know the precise time of the destruction of the old city and the building of the new one. See Girgenti.

The hospitality and parade for which the Agrigentines are celebrated in history were supported by an extensive commerce; by means of which, the commonwealth was able to resist many shocks of adversity, and always to rise again with fresh splendour. It was, however, crushed by the general fall of Grecian liberty; the feeble remnants of its population, which had survived so many calamities, were at length driven out of its walls by the Saracens, and obliged to lock themselves up for safety among the bleak and inaccessible rocks of the present city.

The principal part of the ancient city lay in the vale; the present town, called Girgentì, occupies the mountain on which the citadel of Cocalus stood. The whole space comprehended within the walls of the ancient city abounds with traces of antiquity, foundations, brick arches, and little channels for the conveyance of water; but in no part are any ruins that can be presumed to have belonged to places of public entertainment. This is the more extraordinary, as the Agrigentines were a sensual people, fond of shows and dramatic performances, and die Romans [7:2:357]never dwelt in any place long without introducing their savage games. Theatres and amphitheatres seem better calculated than most buildings to resist the outrages of time; and it is surprising that not even the vestiges of their form should remain on the ground.