Agira and the mythical Hercules
To make the first centuries of Agira's history more fascinating is the figure of Hercules who stopped in this city during his wanderings.
It is said that in 1290 BC the mythical Hercules together with his nephew and companion Jolao, famous for his long hair, arrived in Agira where he rested his army. Hercules was received amicably, acclaimed and showered with honors. Following this warm welcome, Hercules remained a guest of the city longer than the time necessary to rest his warriors. During his stay in addition to gratifying Agira by creating notable public works such as an artificial lake, a gymnasium and two temples,one dedicated to the cruel god Geryon and the other to his nephew Jolao, he wanted to impose some of his customs, military, civil and religious, and initiated fruitful contacts of political understanding .
The inhabitants of Agira, later, coined several series of coins with the effigies of Hercules and Jolaus, and sculpted statues with their likeness, they immediately treasured the innovations introduced by the hero and legislated that since then no sacrifice blood was consumed on the altars, that the hair of the adolescents were sacred to Jolao, the first fruits of the fields were sacred to Geryon. and, in posthumous times, the same tradition became part of the Christian world and was made in honor of St. Philip Syriac, a Christian name that could dispense good by lot to the devotees with long hair.
The link between the city of Agira and the mythical Hercules is testified by the fact that between the 19th and 20th centuries the coat of arms of Agira depicted Hercules knocking down the Hydra and by the presence of a fountain dedicated to the hero and his twelve labors .
