The legend of Theocles
The legend of Theocles explains the origin of ancient city of Naxos, the first Greek colony in Sicily.
The legend of Theocles, whose statue is located on the seafront of Giardini Naxos, tells of the birth of the Greek colony Naxos in 735 BC. Legend has it that Theocles, during one of his sea voyages, offered Neptune a little cooked liver then the god, enraged by this unwelcome sacrifice, stirred the waters of the sea. The boat was thus destroyed and all the crew died with it except for Teocles who managed to escape and, leaning on a wreck, reached a beach. Arriving on the coasts of present-day Giardini Naxos, Teocles was enchanted by the beauty of this place and decided to settle in Sicily. He convinced other men and it was thus that they arrived from the homonymous island of Naxos in the Aegean Sea.
In memory of its ancient origins in the seafront of Giardini Naxos is the statue of its founder.
