GELA, a town of Sicily on the S. coast, province of Calta nisetta, 74 m. by rail and 41 m. direct E.S.E. of Girgenti. Pop. (1931) 30,008. The poorly built modern town stands on a sand hill near the sea, with a fertile plain (the ancient Campi Geloi) to the north of it. It has only an open roadstead. Outside it on the east are scanty remains of a Doric temple (480-44o B.c.?) which was still standing in the 18th century, of which a single pillar only remains (height about 262 ft., lower diameter 54 ft.). Between it and the modern town the stylobate of a large and earlier temple was found. This seems to have been constructed towards the end of the 7th century B.C. on the site of a still earlier edifice. The stylobate measures 115 by 58 ft. A large number of decorative terracottas were found. Both buildings were probably dedicated successively to Athena. On the west of the town, on the Capo Soprano, was the ancient necropolis, where many tombs of the Greek period have been discovered.
The . ancient city was founded by Cretan and Rhodian colonists in 691-690 B.C., and itself founded Acragas (see AGRIGENTUM) in 582 B.c. It also had a treasure-house at Olympia. The town took its name from the river to the east. The Rhodian settlers called it Lindioi (see LINDus). Gela enjoyed its greatest prosperity under Hippocrates (492-485 B.c.), whose dominion extended over a considerable part of the island. Gelon seized the tyranny on his death, soon became master of Syracuse and transferred his capital thither with half the inhabitants of Gela, leaving his brother Hieron to rule over the rest. Its prosperity returned, however, after the expulsion of Thrasybulus in 466 B.c., but in 405 it was abandoned by Dionysius' order (see SYRACUSE). The in habitants returned and rebuilt the town but it was only refortified in the time of Timoleon. In 31I B.C. Agathocles put to death over 4,00o of its inhabitants; and finally, after its destruction by the Mamertines about 281 B.C., Phintias of Agrigentum transferred the remainder to the new town of Phintias (now Licata, q.v.). In Roman times they still kept the name of Gelenses or Geloi in their new abode. The modern town was known until recently as Terrasrova di Sicilia.
Remains of a temple of Athena of the 6th cent. B.C. with five terracottas have been found; while scanty remains of another, a century later (perhaps that of Apollo) are to be seen, and nu merous tombs have been excavated. (T. A.) See the monograph by Orsi, Monumenti dei Lincei, xvii. (1906) ; Notizie degli Scavi, 19o7, Pareti in Romische Mitteilungen, 19io.