AGRIGENTO, SICILY—According to a statement released by the Free University of Berlin, archaeologists have unearthed another section of an athletic complex in the Greek colony of Akragas (modern Agrigento). Previous work at the site exposed other parts of the monumental gymnasium, a facility used for exercise, sports training, and other athletic activities. These included a pool and a racetrack. During the recent investigations nearby, an international team of researchers unearthed a roofed semicircular theater or auditorium capable of seating between 150 and 200 people. This space opened onto an adjacent large rectangular lecture hall with benches lining the walls. These areas would have been used by teachers and students to hold classes, rhetorical exercises, theatrical performances, and intellectual competitions. Dating to the second century b.c., the complex in Agrigento is the only known Greek gymnasium that included an auditorium on its grounds. The researchers believe this demonstrates that the patrons of Agrigento were equally concerned with both athletic and intellectual education of their young citizens. To read about the discovery of a lost theater in Agrigento, go to "Sicily's Lost Theater."
