If it is true, though impossible to prove, that mythology has its roots in some form of reality, then this story begins with none other than Hercules. According to legend, Heracles, as he was known in Greek mythology, the demigod born to Zeus and the mortal queen Alcmene, became famous for his superhuman strength and the Twelve Labors. To restore his strength, he is said to have immersed himself in the warm thermal waters of Termini Imerese.
To understand the town’s origins, we must go back in time. The Carthaginians destroyed Himera in 409 BC. Two years later, the settlement was rebuilt about seven and a half miles to the west, on the site where Termini Imerese stands today. It was then known as Thermai Himeraiai, or Thermae Himerae in Latin, a name inspired by the nearby hot springs, which are still in use. The modern thermal baths stand in the same location chosen by the Romans, and some remains of the ancient complex can still be seen.
