We crossed over from Malta to Sicily, moving from a small island to the largest in the Mediterranean. Now we’re in Roman territory! Actually, not quite. Yes, the Romans were here. They conquered the island during the First Punic War (a series of three wars fought between Rome and Carthage). However, before the Romans arrived, the Greeks were here, as we would see at other locales around the island.
Our first stop was at Agrigento on the southern coast. There are a series of Greek temples built on a ridge, called the Valley of Temples today. (Whoever came up with that name must not have understood what a valley is) The ancient Greeks established colonies to their east (modern day Turkey) and west. Seeing these Greek ruins, I recalled learning about the Greeks in western Turkey when I traveled there. I later visited Greece, seeing their origins. Witnessing these ruins in Sicily, I felt like I had come full circle.
Archaeologists don’t know which gods all the temples were originally dedicated to, so they came up with their own names when needed. They are in varying stages of preservation and restoration.
