In Greek ancient times, high schools were places of physical and mental education for young men. In the ancient city of agrigent in Sicily, archaeologists have now also discovered an auditorium in addition to career and a swimming pool: an auditorium: an auditorium with rising rows of seats, which served the lessons and demonstrations. This find is the earliest of its kind in the western Mediterranean and confirms the importance of intellectual training in Hellenistic antiquity.
The high school in ancient Greek cities was the central place where young men were physically and intellectually prepared for their future tasks as citizens-it was a mix of fitness centers and school. From the 4th century BC, these large complex career, baths and rooms in which the young men could train and learn. Also the city of Agrigent, which around 580 BC. BC was founded as the largest Greek colony in Sicily, had a high school. This is considered a construction of superlatives because it is the only known high school in the western Mediterranean so far, the 200 -meter -long career, on both sides there was standing stands with labeled seats and offered a large swimming pool.
Lecture hall with eight rows of seats
Now there are new finds: An archaeology team led by Monika Trümper and Thomas Lappi from the Free University of Berlin exposed an auditorium in March 2025 at excavations in the Agrigent high school. This ancient lecture hall is similar to a small covered theater and comprises eight semicircular rows of seats. In this from the 2nd century BC BC Auditorium was taught the young men of the high school, the semicircular stage area, the Orchestra, but was probably also used for demonstrations and competitions. Around 200 people found space in the Agrigent lecture hall. Immediately after the auditorium was another hall equipped with benches. The 11 by 23 meter area was probably also used for lessons and events.
“This find offers unique insights into the training of young citizens in the ancient city,” explain the archaeologists. The Agrigent Auditorium shows the great importance, which at the time was obtained in addition to physical upgrading, but also intellectual training. The age of the Agrigent auditorium is also unique: when the high school in the 2nd century BC. BC was built, no other known high school in the ancient world offered such a lecture hall. It was not until 250 to 300 years later that the large high school in Pergamon received a similar auditorium, as FU Berlin reports.
Inscription describes renovation work
The archaeologists made another discovery in the orchestra of the Agrigent Auditorium: they encountered two large blocks with a Greek inscription, the letters of which were engraved in the white -plastered soft lime and highlighted with red color. This inscription describes that the roof of the changing room, the apodyterium, was renewed thanks to donations from a wealthy citizen of the city. The renovation was consecrated to the gods of the high school, Hermes and HERAKLES. A head of the high school, a so -called high school, is also mentioned, as the researchers report.
According to the archaeologists, this inscription is also an extraordinary discovery. Because despite the thousand years of settlement history of Agrigents, very few inscriptions have been preserved that provide insights into everyday life and the social life of the city. Based on the letter shape of the inscription, the team dates them to the late 1st century BC. At that time, Agrigent was already under Roman rule. Interestingly, however, the Greek language was still used, as the inscription proves. The traditions and offices of Greek antiquity and also the Greek high school as the central training center of the youth were also used, as the excavations suggest.
At the next excavation season planned for 2026, further excavations are planned in the area north of the auditorium now exposed. The archaeologists hope to expose further sports and classrooms. You may also find other inscriptions that provide insights into life in the antique high school of agrigent.
Source: Free University of Berlin, Agrigento project: high school