Incorporating the gods into our evolutionary process
In central Peloponnese, close to Tripoli and in-between the famous towns of Argos and Sparta, there is the municipal unit of Tegea. Once upon a time a mighty city-state, it has been reduced nowadays to a cluster of inconsequential villages, surrounded by fertile lands that are dotted with archaeological ruins, reminiscing the region’s ancient glory. Among these sites, the temple of Athena Alea stands out, famed as one of the most important shrines dedicated to Goddess Athena in Ancient Greece.
The ruins of the temple of Athena Alea
The modest remains that one can see today, date to the 4th century, as the temple was rebuilt after a destructive fire, the new structure bearing the signature of Scopas, a famous architect and sculptor of the time. The original temple, though, erected in the 7th c BC (625-600 BC), was the first monumental Doric shrine in Arcadia and stood as a symbol of the unfolding political and social changes that had a paramount impact in the future of civilisation. So, although the present ruins may not impress the occasional passerby, they hide much more than what initially meets the eye.
A room with a view: house built almost inside the archaeological site of the Temple of Athena Alea in Tegea. Interesting co-habitation of the past with the present.
The story is a tale of identity-building and evolution which, when compared to the more groundbreaking developments in the 5th c BC onwards, is often forgotten. The details, though, can help us understand our expansion, shedding light on where we came from and where we stand today.
The 8th and 7th century BC, known as the Geometric period, brought forward significant activity in Greece, in areas that, previously, were rather dormant, especially during the so-called Middle Ages of antiquity. The Bronze-era palatial economies of Crete and Mycenae, largely dependent on international trade and the sea, had already fallen apart, creating a gap in power and history which ultimately allowed aristocracy to gain access to the government of the community and, thus, become the ruling class.
As it is frequently the case, the collapse of the trade routes pushed the people back to a purely agricultural economy (we saw this happening in Europe as well, after the obliteration of the western Roman Empire). In time, the small and scattered rural communities expanded their arable land, reviving their economies and forging new regional alliances. At the fringes of the settlements, where the agricultural fields bordered with the wilderness, important boundaries were formed. Their role was soon solidified by the erection of cult edifices, most of which were initially simple structures lacking the magnificence that was lately infused in religious architecture.
Marble Epikranitis blocks from the from the Temple of Athena Alea.
On the surface, these shrines were areas of worship, sanctifying the ground and honouring deities that had sprouted out of humanity’s perceived prominence over nature and the need to protect the abundance derived from the land. However, most importantly, such marginally located sanctuaries acted as meeting points among neighbouring communities, building, through joint rituals, bonds of unity and territorial solidarity, especially as opposed to other people or foreign lands. The combination of these social and spiritual activities gradually led to the rise of “polis” (i.e., the city): the administrative structure that was to dominate Greece and Europe for the centuries to come (apart, of course, from the empires and, later, the formal nations that developed in the continent). Amidst the development of such new social and political structures, the forging of a united identity became vital.
Tegea, established in a geographically strategic location, built its identity around the indigeneity of its people: a fundamental value prominent among all the Arcadians. Based on myths and legends, the Tegeans defeated the Dorian tribes that invaded from the north (associated with the Herakleidai), participated in the Trojan War, and colonised Cyprus, all the while maintaining their communal integrity. Later, they forged an alliance with the Dorians via royal marriage, but, in the 8th century, they fought and won against the Spartans, reinforcing, once more, through war and the presence of a common enemy their collective consciousness. Over the years, such events, mythical or historical, were weaved into the local tradition and were finally preserved in the major sanctuaries of Tegea, especially the temple of Athena Alea, turning the gods into guardians and witnesses of such a human-oriented identity. The former humble structures of worship evolved into magnificent examples of religious architecture with extraordinary decoration and monumental sculptures, the whole destined to emanate pride and the grandeur of a community that had managed to surface above anonymity.
Marble gutter from the Temple of Athena Alea.
Alea, the goddess with whom the most significant shrine in Tegea was initially associated, was a deity of fertility and prosperity, honouring, as one would expect from an agricultural society, nature’s cycles of life. Later, in the Archaic period, the feminine substance of the goddess and her martial attributes led to her association with the goddess Athena. This version of Athena had healing properties and did not carry the rigid traits of the virgin goddess that, later, became prominent among the Greek pantheon. Still, this transformation represents another evolution – a spiritual one, this time, found only in few ancient civilisations. Much like Maat, the Egyptian goddess for truth, justice, and cosmic order, Athena – a virgin, almost asexual goddess in Greece – evolved from the more primitive, fertility-focused deities, expressing the need of humankind to acknowledge and revere intangible and sophisticated values that became meaningful and imperative in the advanced societies of the Classical era. No wonder this goddess took the city of Athens under its wings, turning it into the flagship of civilisation, the profundity of its achievements and messages radiating to our days.
The temple of Athena Alea was one of my last discoveries before the lockdown in March. Initially, it seemed little more than one of the thousands archaeological sites scattered all over the Greek land. Yet, it was a reminder that, although we, humans, have possibly sprouted out of some celestial energy, for thousands of years we have also been incorporating the gods into our evolutionary process, ultimately determining our understanding of the Divine as we gradually unravel the mysteries of our humble existence.
(Note: The above thoughts are based on the readings and understandings of the author. If you notice any historical discrepancies, feel free to share your suggestions to further improve the article).
Photo credits: © Konstantina Sakellariou.
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