Cadmea

The Cadmea, also called the Cadmeia (Greek: Καδμεῖα), is the ancient citadel of Thebes in Boeotia, Greece. The name derives from Cadmus, the legendary founder of Thebes, whom tradition links to the establishment of the fortress. The Cadmea functioned as the political and religious center of Thebes, housing the royal residence and the city’s principal temples, and it stood as the symbolic heart of Theban power.

The fortress occupies a prominent hill that rises above Thebes, giving it strategic control over the city and its approaches to the Boeotian plain. As the seat of government and the residence of the ruling elites, it was surrounded by fortifications and precincts that reinforced Thebes’ authority in the region.

Historically, the Cadmea played a central role in Theban politics and warfare from the Archaic period through the Hellenistic era. The city’s rulers and leading military and religious institutions were closely associated with the citadel. In 338 BCE, Thebes fell under Macedonian domination after Philip II’s victory at Chaeronea, ending Theban independence. A generation later, in 335 BCE, Alexander the Great razed Thebes in response to a revolt, and the Cadmeia was left in ruins as part of the city’s destruction.

In later centuries the site was partially rebuilt and remained of local importance, but it no longer held the political primacy it once did. Today, the Cadmea is an archaeological site on the edge of the modern city of Thebes, with ruins that mark the location of the ancient citadel.