The exact origins of Polizzi Generosa are still uncertain. But from the archaeological excavations that have been undertaken, it is certain that in ancient times the town had been under the control of the Greeks and the Carthaginians. The earliest remains found in Polizzi and the surrounding area date from the third and fourth centuries B.C. In general, the Greeks were dominant in the eastern half of Sicily, while the Carthaginians ruled in the west. (Hannibal's father, Hamilcar Barca, was the commander at what is now Erice in the far west of the island and the consequences of a major defeat of the Punic navy off the coast, turned him into a fanatical opponent of Rome. This hatred he passed down to his more famous son.) Of course, later Polizzi was part of the Roman Empire. Sicily was one of two granaries for Rome, and suffered under many unscrupulous governors. At one time a statue of Isis was uncovered in Polizzi and from this evidence many people believe that the name means "city of Isis."
The present-day town dates back to Hellenistic times when it was known as Basileopolis, meaning the city of the king.
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