Argos, located in the Argolis region of northeastern Peloponnese, is considered one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in Western Europe. A living testimony to over 7,000 years of history, Argos is an ideal destination for history buffs and mythology enthusiasts, far from the crowds.
Heroes and legends: the mythical origins of the town
The origins of Argos, like those of many Greek cities, are lost in a maze of myths from a variety of traditions.
During the Mycenaean period (1600-1100 BC), Argos became a prominent city, with close links to sites such as Mycenae and Tiryns. It was during this period that many of the founding myths of Greek civilization were born, linked to the legendary kings of Argos.
According to legend, Argos has been inhabited since ancient times by pre-Hellenic peoples, whom Ancient Greek writers referred to as “the Pelasgians”; their first king, Pelasgus, was said to be the son of Zeus and Niobe.
According to one version, the city’s founder was the river-god Inachus, son of the Titans Oceanus and Tethys, and father of Io (Zeus’ lover, transformed into a cow). Argos, also known as Argus Panoptes, was a hundred-eyed giant who is said to have guarded Io on behalf of Hera, Zeus’ distrustful wife and patron goddess of Argos.
The economic development of Argos is attributed to Danaus, founder of a new dynasty and eponym of the people who bear his name – the Danaans, who also built its acropolis.
The Danaus myth suggests that at the beginning of the Mycenaean period, around 1600-1500 BC, a new people took power in Argos, originally from Egypt and Phoenicia, while another version suggests that the new inhabitants were Achaeans. In any case, Argos became a powerful center in the Mycenaean period. Around 1300 BC, the king of Argos, Adrastus, accompanied by six other citadel kings, marched against Thebes, an event described in Aeschylus’ tragedy Seven Against Thebes.
Argos is also home to many legendary heroes, including Perseus, the slayer of Medusa, and Diomedes, one of the major heroes of Homer’s Iliad, who ruled Argos at the time of the Trojan War.
With the arrival of the Dorians around 1100 BC, a hypothesis challenged by historians, Argos became one of the first Peloponnesian cities to come under Doric rule. The Dorians of Argos occupied a vast territory stretching from Cynuria to Aegina, and from Argolis they colonized Rhodes, founding Lindos and the southern Cyclades. The first king of Argos after the arrival of the Dorians is mentioned as Temenus, founder of the Temenid dynasty. The cult of Hera also seems to have begun in Argos at this time.
The first inhabitants and the archaic period
The site of Argos is dominated by two hills: Larisa, almost 300 meters high, and the hill of the Prophet Elias – colloquially called “Aspida” (meaning “shield” in Greek) due to its shape – with an altitude of around 90 meters.
The first traces of human presence in Argos date back to the Neolithic period, around 5000 B.C. Thanks to its strategic position on a fertile plain close to the sea, Argos quickly developed as an agricultural and commercial center.
During the Archaic period (8th – 6th century BC), Argos emerged as one of the most powerful cities in the Peloponnese, rivalling even Sparta. This was a time of cultural, political and military expansion for the city, and one of the key figures of this period was King Pheidon (7th century BC). He is credited with three major achievements reuniting the Argive kingdom, standardizing weights and measures and taking control of the Olympic festival.
Argos also became an outstanding artistic center, especially for sculpture. It was here that major artists such as Polymedes (in the Archaic Period) and Polykleitos (in the Classical Period) were born or trained, and their work had a lasting influence on Greek art. The Argos school developed a realistic, harmonious style centered on the idealized proportions of the human body.
Argos went into gradual military decline, particularly in the face of Sparta’s expansion, but retained its autonomy and cultural prestige well into the Classical era.
From Frankish knights to today’s town
The history of Argos later became intertwined with that of the Roman Empire, which evolved into the Eastern Roma (Byzantine) Empire. The crusaders of the principality of Achaia conquered it around 1212, forming the seigniory of Argos along with the neighboring city of Nafplion; it would later come under Venetian and, subsequently, Ottoman rule, until the Greek War of Independence (1821-1829).
Today, Argos is a little-known destination, ideal for lovers of mythology, history and authentic discoveries far from the tourist crowds. Close to Nafplio, Mycenae and Epidaurus, Argos features a must-see archaeological site, with the ancient theater, the Heraion (sanctuary dedicated to Hera), the archaeological museum, the Roman baths, the remains of the ancient Agora, and Larisa, the acropolis of Argos, with its panoramic view and medieval fortifications.
Read also via Greek News Agenda: The archaeological sites of Mycenae and Tiryns; Visit Nafplion, One of Europe’s Most Beautiful Towns; The medieval ghost town of Mystras
Translated from the original article from Grèce Hebdo; intro image:
TAGS: ARCHAEOLOGY | HERITAGE | TOURISM
