Tegea was one of the eminent city-states at the South-west region of Peloponnesus (approximately 12 km South of Tripolis). It was mentioned as early as the Homeric epics — part of the Achaian expedition against Troy (Il. ii.607). It was during the Archaic period where the nine demes (Paus. 8.45.1) — of the four tribes: Clareotis, Hippothoetis, Apolloniatis, and Athaneatis (Paus. 8.53.1) — became a uniformed city-state, entitled Tegeatis, which is situated on the East borders of Kynuria and of Argolis, on the South with Laconia, on the West with Mainalia and on the North with Mantineia.
In 560 B.C. the Tegeans fought against Sparta, which concluded with its conquer by the Spartan (Hdt. 1.66-68) but from the c. 550 B.C. the city-state was incorporated in the Peloponnesian League. Tegea was, thereafter, considered and remained in alliance with Sparta, and eventually developed the second in strength Peloponnesian army during the Persian War (Hdt. 9.28). Between the 470 B.C. and 465 B.C. Arkadians and the Spartans were at war and the Tegeans were defeated:
οἱ δὲ πέντε ἀγῶνες οἵδε ἐγένοντο, εἷς μὲν καὶ πρῶτος οὗτος ὁ ἐν Πλαταιῇσι, ἐπὶ δὲ ὁ ἐν Τεγέῃ πρὸς Τεγεήτας τε καὶ Ἀργείους γενόμενος, μετὰ δὲ ὁ ἐν Διπαιεῦσι πρὸς Ἀρκάδας πάντας πλὴν Μαντινέων, ἐπὶ δὲ ὁ Μεσσηνίων ὁ πρὸς Ἰθώμῃ, ὕστατος δὲ ὁ ἐν Τανάγρῃ πρὸς Ἀθηναίους τε καὶ Ἀργείους γενόμενος: οὗτος δὲ ὕστατος κατεργάσθη τῶν πέντε ἀγώνων.(Hdt. 9.35)
With the later conquer by the Spartans, at Tegea was established a strong laconizing party which brought Tegea under the Spartan rule. Consequently the city-state naturally became enemy of the Mantineia (see the article of the Mantinean army ). During the Peloponnesian War, Tegea fought as a loyal member of the Spartan alliance (see foo[1]). However, in c 430-420 Tegea started a self production of coins. These coins, the relief of Exemus available in the Archaeological Museum of Tegea and the funeral relief of Lisas from Decelea are the only evidences, at the time being, for the uniform of Tegean hoplites.
1 See A. Andrewes, ‘Sparta and Arcadia in the Early Fifth Century’ in Phoenix, Vol. 6, (1), 1952, pp. 1-5.
