Marpessa, the woman who led the women of Tegea to defend the city during a war from an invasion led by the Spartan king Charilaus.[4] Marpessa's weapon was later put in plain sight in the Temple of Athena Alea, a focal point for the local population in Tegea, showing the importance of this story and the character of Marpessa in the collective memory of the Tegeans.[5]