Temple of Athena Alea at Tegea

DARMC OBJECTID: 24216

In the late 8th and early 7th century BC, the first cult edifices were built. They were huts, perhaps in the tradition of the "laurel hut" of Apollo at Delphi. They were intended for the worship of the local deity, Alea. Alea, a deity of vegetation and fertility, was associated with the annual cycle of death, decay, and rebirth - renovation of nature as well as prosperity - eueteria (good seasons - good harvest). She was also associated with Auge, another fertility deity in Tegea, patroness of childbirth and pregnant women. The feminine substance, in combination with the emergence of martial attributes, led to her association with goddess Athena during the Archaic period. Thus, the name "Alea" describes certain qualities of Athena. Healing properties are counted among them.

At the end of the 7th century BC (625–600 BC), a monumental Doric temple was built in their place, the first in Arcadia. It was exastyle peripteral with eighteen columns at each side, pronaos, cella, and adyton. Its proportions were elongated. Marble, stone, and wood were used for its construction. The columns and the entablature of the building were made of wood. The interior has a hypostyle in two stages. A characteristic feature of the architecture of the early archaic temple (end of the 7th century BC) of Athena Alea was the adyton, i.e., a room accessible only from the cella. Precious votive offerings were kept there. The cult statue might have been held there. The correlation of the adyton with the chthonic character of the cult and mystic rituals, which were particularly widespread in Arcadia, should not be excluded. 

In an inscribed bronze cauldron, we read for the first time in the 6th century BC the name of Athena. In the second half of the 6th century BC, the famous Athenian sculptor Endoios created her ivory cult statue. The finds from the 7th century BC, up to the destruction of the temple in the early 4th century BC are far from numerous, maybe a result of the great interventions in the area during the construction of the Late Classical temple by Scopas.

Shortly after the middle of the 4th century BC, a new temple was built by the architect and sculptor Scopas. In the 4th century BC, the cult statue of the goddess was flanked by the statues of Asclepius and Hygeia.

Orientation:

The orientation of the temple has been constant and perpetuated since the first construction phases. It faces east with a deviation of azimuth 86° from Geographical North. The temple faces a mountain of about 4° to 6° skyline altitude, possibly part of the Parthenion mountains to the east of the Tegean plain.