Ancient history

Argos

Argos (in ancient Greek) is a Greek city in the Peloponnese, located near Nafplio. Its name comes from the Greek root arg-, which means "something shiny" (cf. argyros meaning "silver"). The region of Argos is still called Argolis today.

Mythology

The city has for mythical founder Argos, son of Zeus. The city is also associated with the legend of Io, Danaos, Perseus as well as the gesture of the Atrides.

Homer mentions in his epics the “Pelasgic Argos”, which designates the plains of Thessaly, as well as the “Achaean Argos”, an expression which covers both the Peloponnese as a whole and the city of Argos itself. Alongside Tiryns or Epidaurus, Argos took part in the Trojan War under the command of Diomedes[1]. It is also cited as one of the cities dear to Hera.

History

At the end of the Bronze Age, Argos was one of the centers and one of the main strongholds of the Mycenaean civilization. However, the pre-Greek name of its acropolis, Larissa, suggests that the site was previously occupied by the Pelasgians. The site of Argos was, with Mycenae and Tiryns, occupied very early for its geographical location and its position in the fertile plains of Argolis.

After the dark centuries, it regains its importance under the reign of the tyrant Phidon:it submits the Peloponnesian cities. It is eclipsed by Sparta from the 6th century BC. This rivalry explains why Argos systematically adopted an anti-Laconian side during the Peloponnesian War, either remaining neutral or allying with Athens. We have to wait for the battle of Mantinea, in 418 BC. AD, to convince Argos to ally with Sparta[3]. However, she broke her treaty at the start of the Corinthian War in 395 BC. J.-C., and then joined the Achaean League.

In the 12th century, a fortress was built on top of the acropolis and called Kastro Larissa. Argos was in turn occupied by the Franks and then by the Venetians until 1463. It was then the Ottomans who controlled the city until 1686, when it was taken over by the Venetians, before falling back under Ottoman domination in 1716 and this until the Greek War of Independence in 1821.

Many ruins of the city now remain and Argos is now a popular tourist center. Argos also lives from agriculture in the valley as well as above the city where there are citrus groves.

Archaeology

The excavations of Argos have brought to light Mycenaean walls, the remains of temples of Apollo Python and Athena as well as a theater. The tombs also yielded an abundant quantity of ceramics from the Geometric period.


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