The Temple of Athena Alea in Tegea served as a crucial symbol for Tegeans from the tenth century BCE, showing links to nearby regions. Legend credits local hero Aleus with its construction, although this may be a later addition.
The original temple likely dates to the early Archaic period, with a renowned replacement built by Scopas after a fire in 394 BCE. Notable figures sought asylum there, including Chryseis, Leotychides, and Pausanias.
The temple's interior featured a stunning Doric structure with Corinthian and Ionic columns. Its centerpiece was an ivory statue of Athena by Endoeus, later taken to Rome by Augustus.
Exterior decorations depicted myths like the Calydonian Boar Hunt and Telephos fighting Achilles, linking Tegea's local heroes to broader Greek mythology. Inside, the temple housed statues of Asclepius and Hygieia by Skopas, alongside representations of local figures and deities like Rhea and the Muses.
The temple hosted two festivals, Aleaia and Halotia, and was served by a young priest until puberty, according to Pausanias.
References:The Walls of Constantinople are a series of defensive stone walls that have surrounded and protected the city of Constantinople (today Istanbul) since its founding as the new capital of the Roman Empire by Constantine the Great. With numerous additions and modifications during their history, they were the last great fortification system of antiquity, and one of the most complex and elaborate systems ever built. They were also the largest and strongest fortification in both the ancient and medieval world.
Initially built by Constantine the Great, the walls surrounded the new city on all sides, protecting it against attack from both sea and land. As the city grew, the famous double line of the Theodosian Walls was built in the 5th century. Although the other sections of the walls were less elaborate, they were, when well-manned, almost impregnable for any medieval besieger.