Altea

Altea (アリティア, Aritia in the Japanese version) is a island kingdom on the continent of Akaneia in the games Ankoku Ryū to Hikari no Tsurugi, Mystery of the Emblem, and Shadow Dragon and is the country which the games' hero, Marth, hails from.

History
Altea was founded from a small island town of Akaneia by Anri, a hero who killed Medeus, the Shadow Dragon. After Anri's died and his younger brother, Marcelus, became king, the Kingdom of Gra was formed over an issue of inheritance within the royal family, though the two nations would intially retain a close relationship.

Due to its formation, Altea existed as a vassal sate for Akaneia and held great loyalty to the Akaneian royal family. While the nation was fairly small, its knights were known for being of the some of the most skilled on the Continent.

Roles in Fire Emblem Games
In Ankoku Ryū to Hikari no Tsurugi/Shadow Dragon, Altea is invaded by Doluna, Medeus's kingdom, after Medeus is resurrected. King Cornelius, with the support of Gra, tries to fight them off. Later however, Marth finds out that Gra betrayed them killing King Cornelius, stealing Falchion, and with a severely wounded Cain the only survivor of the battle. During this time, Altea's princess, Elice, is captured and Marth exiled. Through the events of the game, Marth and his allies are able to recapture Altea and eventually slay Medeus freing the continent of Akaneia.

It appears again in Mystery of the Emblem, this time it eventually comes against the kingdom of Akaneia, where it is again invaded and Marth has to again free it from Medeus, who is revealed to be still alive. After the events of the game, Marth reunites Altea with Gra, and rules as king. Shortly afterwards, Marth would merge Altea with the other nations of the contient, creating the united Kingdom of Akaneia.

Notable Alteans

 * Anri - Founder and first King of Altea, slayer of Medeus.
 * Marcelus - Anri's younger brother and second King of Altea.
 * Marius - A former King of Altea and father of Cornelius. Grandfather of Marth and Elice.
 * Cornelius - King of Altea, as well as Marth and Elice's father. He was killed by Gra's ambush.
 * Liza - Queen of Altea, as well as Marth and Elice's mother. She was killed by Morzas.
 * Marth - Altean Prince and hero of both the War of Darkness and the War of Heroes. Eventually rules over the entire continent.
 * Elice - Altean Princess and wielder of the Aum Staff.
 * Merric - An Altean noble who studied magic in Khadein under Wendell.
 * Malledus - An Altean advisor.
 * Cain - An Altean Cavalier, known as the Great Bull.
 * Abel - An Altean Cavalier, known as the Black Panther. Later falls in love with Est.
 * Frey - An Altean Cavalier who was among Marth's personal escorts out of Altea and canonically sacrificed his life so that Marth could escape.
 * Jagen - A Paladin and Cain, Abel, and Frey's superior. Later takes Malledus's position as Marth's advisor.
 * Gordin and Raian - Altean Archers and brothers.
 * Draug - A Knight and good friend of Gordin.
 * Norne - An Altean Archer and volunteer soldier.
 * Samson - An Altean gladiator and lover of the Gra princess Sheema despite the earlier Altea-Gra conflict.
 * Arran - A Paladin who succeeds Jagen in training new recruits despite his illness.
 * The Avatar - An Altean Knight who is Marth's confidant and friend.
 * Maclir - An old Altean knight who was a friend of Jagen's, and grandfather to the Avatar.
 * Katarina - A new recruit of the Altean Knights, aspiring to be a Tactician.

Etymology
'Altea' probably comes from the word 'althea,' a genus of flower which includes the plants hollyhock and Rose of Sharon. The word 'althea' comes from the Greek 'althaia,' meaning 'to heal.'

Hollyhock was part of the official seal of the Tokugawa Shogunate. Rose of Sharon, whose proper name is 'hibiscus syriacus,' is the national flower of South Korea and symbolizes immortality. In the Christian Bible, the phrase 'Rose of Sharon' is the translation from Hebrew given to several unidentifiable flowers and has become a common poetic reference in English literature. Sharon is a plain on the Western side of Israel between the Samarian Hills and the Mediterranean Sea.

Altea