The most recent study by Markus Wolf revolves around new architectural surveys of five Hellenistic sanctuaries in Sicily: the temples of Santa Caterina and San Pancrazio in Tauromenion, the large altar of Hiero II in Syracuse, the sanctuary of Demeter in Heloros, and the so-called Oratorium of Phalaris in Agrigentum. By applying the methods of archaeological building research, Wolf is able to propose new approaches to reconstructing the buildings and suggest new ideas on how they should be classified both chronologically and typologically. The monuments of Tauromenion, Syracuse, and Heloros in eastern Sicily suggest a strong Greek influence and are doubtlessly associated with the personality of the ruler Hiero II and his politics of building. Hiero II constructed a network of new sanctuaries in his capital city of Syracuse and the other cities of his kingdom – the last Greek kingdom in Sicily during the highpoint of the Hellenistic age. The most important building in this respect is the large altar in Syracuse, whose length of 199.45 meters makes it the largest altar of the ancient world. With its offset square to the west, surrounded by halls, in addition to sacrificing oxen it could also be used for larger gatherings. This made the altar into the center of Hiero II’s kingdom.
The so-called Oratorium of Phalaris in Agrigentum, in contrast, represents the situation outside of the Greek Kingdom of Hiero II in the other parts of Sicily that were already Roman provinces by this point in time. Here, a podium temple with an open staircase represents a specifically Italian-Roman approach to sacral architecture, influenced by the new Roman politics of building. By taking a comprehensive view, Wolf goes on to incorporate all the other Hellenistic sanctuaries in Sicily into his study. His comparative approach makes it possible to elaborate the varied cultural influences – Greek, Italian-Roman, and Punic – at play in a time during which Sicily found itself in a field of tension between various cultures and populations.
From here, the work draws connections to similar facilities in central and southern Italy, in the Greek homeland, and in Asia Minor, in order to render a more comprehensive picture and a new overview of sacral architecture in Hellenistic times. Beyond considering the monuments themselves, the study also lays an important foundation for studying the Hellenistic age from the perspective of other disciplines like classical archaeology or ancient history.