History and etymology of Akrai
Akrai was founded in 664 BC and was located on the flat top of a hill west of “Palazzolo Acreide”. This site, adopted strictly according to military criteria, allowed to dominate the upper reaches of the Anapo River. With regard to the ancient history of Akrai, we find the only direct reference to a city with this name in the treaty between Rome and Syracuse dating back to 203 BC. The Akrai name is passed in this form by Thucydides (490-395 BC) and Diodorus (1st century BC), while Stephanus Byzantinus (6th century AD) wrote "Akra".
For the lack of sources, scholars believe that the town was founded as a mere fortress with a purely and typically military feature in support to the defense of Syracuse. Moreover, Thucydides mentioned the town“ […] without qualification, implying, perhaps, a 'phrourion' [piccolo castello] controlling Syracusan dominion, though it 'may' possible have been a dependent 'polis' founded as a fortress (...) but the size of Akraian territory is uncertain, and it was in any case part of the Syracusan dominion […]” ( See M. Herman Hansen, T. Hein, “An Inventory of Archaic and Classical Poleis”, Oxford University Press, 2004, p.108).
In the peace treaty concluded between the Romans and Hiero II (308-215 BC), Akrai was included among the possessions of this monarch, and probably that was the period of its greatest prosperity (Diodorus, XXIII 4), because in this period were built the greatest monuments of the town. During the second Punic War Akrai followed the fate of Syracuse; after the war, it was included by the Romans among the “Stipendiaria” cities [that is, that it was subject to an annual tribute, called “Stipendium” ] and this suggests that Akrai resisted to the occupation of Rome, together with troops of Syracuse.
Although it was mentioned by several Roman and Greek writers (Pliny [23-79 AD], Ptolemy [100-175 AD] and Stephanus Byzantinus), little is known about Akrai during Roman and Byzantine times. The Romans, like Syracuse, managed that the town maintained the duties of a strategic military outpost in the area, and it certainly enjoyed a great economic prosperity.
In this sense, the numismatics offers us some pretty interesting supporting voucher; we know for example that in Roman times Akrai minted bronze coins: "[...] That the town also retained at least some economic importance in Roman times is confirmed by the fact that only at that time it began to mint bronze coins, like Lilybaeum, Hybla Magna, Caracte and Assorum [...]" (See the article by Bernabò Brea, in “Siculorum gymnasium”, 1950: 39 ). One of these coins, probably dating to 212 BC, "on one side shows the head of Persephone on the right with a crown of ears and Demeter on the other side" (p. 39).
After the fall of Roman Empire, Akrai was occupied by the Byzantines; despite the absence of direct sources, studies by Bernabò Brea have shown that Akrai certainly became an important town of the Christianity propagation, as is evidenced by the numerous archaeological finds. With the destruction of the Arabs occurred in 827 BC, the ancient town was abandoned by the inhabitants, who moved into the area where the current “Palazzolo” would be stood.
Bernabò Brea wrote that “certainly Akrai did not survive the terrible destruction suffered by the Arabs and that marked the dissolution of the ancient town. What remained of it was allegedly used as a quarry for the construction of the new Palazzolo, founded by the Normans, at close range from Akrai. But the plunder, then do not complete, continued in later centuries, up to now. In fact in the archives of the Superintendency of cultural heritage is kept the record of interventions made in 1874 and 1932 to stop the removal of the old blocks on the ‘Acremonte’ "(See Luigi Bernabò Brea - Francesco D'Angelo, “Il tempio di Afrodite nell'antica Akrai” [" The temple of Aphrodite in the ancient Akrai "] in “Studi acrensi”, 1980-1983).
With regard to the etymology of Akrai, the ancient and modern studies refer to the concept of "height" and so of "city situated on a high place." The concept, thereby expressed, is indeed simple, but how the scholars have come to this conclusion is quite complex and full of erudite references.
Simplifying reasoning, we can say that the idea that "Akrai" corresponded to a "city situated on a high place" was already present in the sixteenth century. In fact, already Lorenzo Giustiniani (“Dizionario geografico-ragionato del Regno di Napoli”, Naples, 1797, Tomo I: 57).) wrote: [...]" The town is very old, and it is so named because is situated on a hill. G. Barrio writes: “Acra enim summitatem significat, quod in montis vertice situm sit [...]" [Akrai means 'peak', since it is situated on a hill]. In fact, G. Barrio in 1571, observed that “Intus est Acra oppidum ab effectu acra enim summitatem significat” [Internally there is the walled city of Akrai, as ‘acra’ means peak "]( See G. Barrii Franciscani “De Antiquitate et situ Calabriae”, Romae, 1571: 398).
Subsequent studies followed this approach, but linking the concept of “height” to the worship professed in the temple of Hera-Aphrodite in Akrai, the goddess of the "heights", their turn connected with the worship of “Zeus Akraios” (“Zeus of The Heights”). In the nineteenth century, Baron G. Judica (1760-1835) begun a series of investigations in the archaeological site of "Akrai", identifying many archaeological finds, among which an inscription that was presumably referring to Zeus “Akraios.” A. Bernard Cook wrote: [...] “At Akrai (Palazzolo) in Sicily the Museum of Baron Judica had a base inscribed ' DIOS [...] RAIOI. J. Schubring in the 'Jarbuch. F. Philol.', suppl. 1867 IV 67 fig. 2 supplies [AGO]raion. But W. Wilamowitz-Moellendorf in the Insc. Gr. Sic. It. n. 203 with great probability cj. [AK]raion”[...] ( See A. Bernard Cook, “Zeus. A Study in Ancient Religion”, Cambridge, at the University Press, 1925, Vol. II: 873 footnote 11). Hera-Aphrodite revered at Akrai were therefore related to Zeus "Akraios" ("Zeus of the Heights").
In fact, Hera (Aphrodite) “ is herself called 'Akraia' in some places as Perachora and Byzantium (…) Hera also is called 'Akraia' because she shares with Zeus the role of holder of the highest peaks.” Pierre Leveque concludes that "the goddess [Hera- Aphrodite] in her presumed Cretan-Mycenaean origin is the protector of the heights" (See“Rivista di cultura classica e medievale”, 2005, n. 47: 26 and 45). Finally, R. Pera noted that "in some subjects engraved on the coins of Smyrna there are one moment the Nemesis, then Cybele, and then Zeus Akraios." (See R. Pera, “Homonoia sulle monete da Augusto agli Antonini”, Il Melangolo, 1984: 112) . In conclusion, "Akrai" was so named in honor of Hera- Aphrodite "Akraia," the goddess of the heights.