City of Thebes
The Seven-Gated City
City of Thebes
Trivia: Thebes is called the Seven-Gated City for its seven entrances, but its various inner walls contain several additional gates.
History
Thebes was founded by a Sidonian prince, Cadmus, following divine guidance while on a failed and ultimately abandoned quest to rescue his abducted sister, Princess Europa. At the end of their journey, Cadmus and his followers discovered and restored the seven-gated hilltop citadel of Oggygia, which had been abandoned during the Deluge that ended the Second Age. The reconstructed citadel became the seat of the government for a settlement that was originally called Cadmeia, in honor of its first king. Cadmeia consisted of the twin hills: citadel-crowned Oggygia and the sacred Acropolis. Cadmeia outgrew its original seven-gated wall, called the Old Wall as the settlement spread southward down the plain and northward into the uplands. Cadmeia became the Old City, joined by Hypothebai to the south and the Uplands to the north within a New Wall, which features seven gates of its own.Walls and Gates
The Citadel Gates Seven gates lead into the Citadel Wall that separates the palace area from the surrounding Spartoi district atop Citadel Hill. Five gates to the eastern and western sides of the Citadel Wall are named for the five surviving Spartoi warriors who became the founding members of the kingdom’s five noble tribes. On the south side of the Citadel Wall is the Sidonian Gate, used exclusively by the royal family and accompanying entourage. On the north side of the Citadel Wall is the Boeotian Gate, named to honor the common folk. Old Wall Gates The original city wall of Cadmeia, built during the reign of King Cadmus, separates the Old City precincts from the Uplands precinct to the north and the Lower City or Hypothebai precincts to the south. Three northward-facing gates lead upslope from the Old City to the Uplands. These are dedicated to The Breezes, Aura, Aeta, and Pnoia. The Auran Gate, nicknamed the Gate of Prophecy, connects the Uplands with the Acropolis and sacred districts. The Aetan Gate, nicknamed the Gate of Rumors, connects the Uplands with Citadel Hill. The Pnoian Gate connects the Uplands with the Old City's Gallery District between the twin hills. The Labyrinth Gate at the low point in the Old City is currently sealed, but once led from the Citadel into the Labyrinth of Antique Design. New Wall Gates There are seven. They lead to roads connecting Thebes with outlying villages and the rest of Boeotia.Districts
The Citadel Complex Previously the highest point in the city until a flattening of the hilltop within the Citadel Wall created a broad courtyard lined with workshops, outbuildings, and the towering palace that houses the royal family. The Spartoi District Surrounding the Citadel Complex on the Oggygian Hill is a residential district made up of five wards, one for each of the Spartoi tribes. The Sacred Precinct The topmost portion of Acropolis Hill is taken up by cults and temples, with Apollo’s temple holding the apex. In addition to its religious aspects, this multi-purpose temple is also the Theban center of medicine, prophecy, and music. The Barracks Precinct In the Northern Uplands, away from the main part of town, is the training grounds and barracks of the Theban Army. From this central location, home to the military command structure, companies are assigned to patrol missions to secure the borders, quell rebellions, and accompany the royal tax collectors on their rounds. Hypothebai The lower city, home to the bulk of the city’s population and most of its economic activity. The Grand Agora is a market square where foreign goods are traded and new ideas are spoken from an ever-open stage.On This Page:
Elsewhere:
Join World Anvil to subscribe to updates.
Comments