Agrigento arcaica, Falaride e i centri sicani dell'entroterra

This paper presents a re-assessment of the data related to the Greek colony of Agrigento during the Archaic period. By the re-examination both of the literary sources and the archaeological record, the socio-political and cultural context of Agrigento and its neighbourhoods are analysed in order to clarify the dyna- mics of cultural exchanges and their transformations from the first tyrant Phalaris to the reign of Theron. In parti- cular, the archaeological data about the indigenous settlement of Montagna di Polizzello are examined. During the 1st half of the 6th century BC, this settlement shows many connections with Himera, but, as the results of the excavations of the so-called Edificio B seem to confirm, during the second half of the same century, it was com- pletely abandoned. Only at the beginning of the 5th century the centre flourished again thanks to Theron political actions.