Acragas

A wealthy Greek city on the southern coast of Sicily, ringed by temples, where Empedocles was born and where the citizens are said to have offered him a crown he refused.

Acragas was rich on grain and horses and built a row of temples along a ridge above the sea that still stands. Pindar called it the most beautiful city of mortals. Empedocles came from its aristocracy and took the democratic side against his own class, which is the context for the story that the citizens offered him the kingship and he turned it down. He walked about in purple with a bronze sandal and a following, and the city seems to have tolerated it.