One of the most impressive auditoriums ever built by the ancient Greeks, this structure measures 36 feet by 75 feet and features eight ascending rows of seats that could hold 200 people arranged in a semicircle around a stage.
T. Lappi/Freie Universität BerlinThe ancient Greek gymnasium in Agrigento, Sicily, which included the newly-found auditorium, a swimming pool, and a race track.
In ancient Greece, education wasn’t limited to the mind — it included the body as well. Physical fitness and scholarly pursuits went hand-in-hand, a principle reflected in the number of gymnasiums across the Greek world. These institutions served as both schools and athletic centers, shaping young citizens for both intellectual and civic life.
Recently, archaeologists from Freie Universität Berlin uncovered an auditorium inside a gymnasium and school complex that once stood in the ancient Greek colony of Agrigento, Sicily. This semicircular auditorium featured seating for 200 people that surrounded a large area for presentations, lessons, and competitions.
Believed to be the oldest known Greek auditorium ever discovered, this find provides scholars with an opportunity to understand the experiences of students and teachers in one of ancient Greece’s most important colonies.
Researchers Discover An Impressive Gymnasium At A Former Ancient Greek Colony In Sicily
T. Lappi and M. Trümper/Freie Universität BerlinA map detailing each section of the site.
In 2019, researchers Monika Trümper and Thomas Lappi from the Freie Universität Berlin initiated a large-scale excavation project in Agrigento, Sicily. The project, supported by the Parco Archeologico e Paesaggistico della Valle dei Templi di Agrigento, the British School at Rome, and the Politecnico di Bari, aimed at excavating unexplored areas of the ancient city.
The city, known as Akragas in Greek, was founded circa 580 B.C.E. and was the largest Greek colony in Sicily. It is particularly famous for its temples and sanctuaries, some of which are the best preserved Greek temples outside of Greece.
Wikimedia Commons/CC BY-SA 4.0A gigantic Atlantean statue from the Temple of Olympian Zeus in Agrigento, Sicily.
With the aim of uncovering more of the city’s history, researchers began surveying ruins long believed to be an ancient gymnasium at the center of the city. The area had been briefly excavated between the 1950s and early 2000s, turning up evidence of a 200-meter-long race track and a swimming pool.
In the ancient Greek world, gymnasiums were not only places for physical fitness, but mental fitness as well.
“In ancient Greek cities, the gymnasium was the central place where young men were physically and intellectually prepared for their future roles as citizens — it was a hybrid of a fitness center and a school. From the 4th century B.C.E. onward, cities built large complexes with running tracks, bathing facilities, and rooms where young men could train and study,” researchers wrote in an announcement from Freie Universität Berlin.
However, archaeologists uncovered way more than an ancient fitness center, turning up evidence of a large lecture hall — the oldest one yet found in the Greek world.
Uncovering The Oldest Known Classroom In The Ancient Greek World
S. Kay/Freie Universität BerlinA researcher conducts a survey just south of the gymnasium.
In 2022, researchers began a detailed survey of the gymnasium site. After three years of excavation and analysis, their efforts yielded a remarkable discovery in March 2025: the ruins of an ancient classroom.
This lecture hall featured eight semicircular rows of seating, enough to accommodate around 200 people. The classroom’s design facilitated classes, performances, and competitions. Ancient Greek inscriptions on stone benches show that it was likely built between the 1st and 2nd centuries B.C.E., making it the oldest gymnasium auditorium of its kind that’s ever been found.
Rolf Sporleder/FU Berlin, Institute of Classical ArchaeologyThe lecture hall’s eight rows of seats could hold up to 200 people.
“In the semicircular orchestra of the lecture hall…two large blocks bearing a Greek inscription were found. The letters were engraved into the white-plastered, soft limestone and highlighted with red paint. Mention is made of a gymnasiarch, the head of the gymnasium, and the renovation of the roof of the apodyterium (changing room), which a generous citizen financed from his own resources and dedicated to the gymnasium’s gods, Hermes and Heracles,” researchers explained.
R. Sporleder/Freie Universität BerlinInscribed stones found at the ancient lecture hall.
Very few inscriptions have been discovered in Agrigento, making this recent discovery especially important for illuminating the everyday lives of the teachers, students, and donors who lived and worked in this ancient city.
Excavation efforts are set to continue in the coming year, with researchers planning to explore areas north of the auditorium. With some luck, they may discover additional classrooms and inscriptions — hopefully uncovering more information about education in one of ancient Greece’s most important colonies.
After reading about the ancient Greek classroom in Sicily, dive into the legends of 12 ancient Greek gods and goddesses. Then, read about the legend of the Gordian Knot, the ancient Greek puzzle that was deemed unsolvable until Alexander the Great conquered it.
