Greek city of Argos in Argolis
Bronze 16mm (3.34 grams) Struck Late 3rd-early 2nd centuries B.C.
Reference: BCD Peloponnesos 1128; SNG Copenhagen 67
Laureate head of Apollo left.
Wolf standing at bay left; A above.

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In  Greek and Roman mythology , Apollo, is one of the most  important and diverse of the Olympian deities kouros (a beardless youth), Apollo has been  variously recognized as a god of light and the sun; truth and prophecy; archery ; medicine and healing; music, poetry,  and the arts; and more. Apollo is the son of Zeus and Leto , and has a twin sister, the chaste huntress Artemis . Apollo is known in Greek-influenced Etruscan mythology as Apulu. Apollo was  worshiped in both ancient Greek and Roman religion , as well as in the modern Greco -Roman Neopaganism .

As the patron of Delphi (Pythian Apollo), Apollo was an oracular god — the prophetic deity of the Delphic Oracle . Medicine and healing were  associated with Apollo, whether through the god himself or mediated through his  son Asclepius , yet Apollo was also seen as a god  who could bring ill-health and deadly plague as well as one who had the ability to  cure. Amongst the god's custodial charges, Apollo became associated with  dominion over colonists , and as the patron defender of herds  and flocks. As the leader of the Muses (Apollon Musagetes) and director of their choir, Apollo  functioned as the patron god of music and poetry . Hermes created the lyre for him, and the instrument became a common attribute of Apollo. Hymns sung to Apollo were  called paeans .

In Hellenistic times, especially during the third century BCE, as Apollo  Helios he became identified among Greeks with Helios , god of the sun , and his sister Artemis  similarly equated with Selene , goddess of the moon . In Latin texts, on the  other hand, Joseph Fontenrose declared himself unable to find any conflation of  Apollo with Sol among the Augustan poets of the first century, not even  in the conjurations of Aeneas and Latinus in Aeneid XII (161–215). Apollo and Helios/Sol  remained separate beings in literary and mythological texts until the third  century CE..

Argos is a city in Greece in the Peloponnese 11 kilometres from Nafplion , which was its historic harbour (named  supposedly after the legendary hero Nauplius ).

 Name

The region of Argos is known as the Argolis , Argolid, or Argeia. The  inhabitants of Argos were known as Ἀργεῖοι  (< *Ἀργεῖϝοι) or Argīvī in Latin , rendered Argives in English.

The name might be of pre-Greek ("Pelasgian")  derivation; the name of its acropolis , Larissa , certainly is. Aitiology derives it from a mythological  founder, Argos son of Zeus and Niobe (see also Danaus ). If the name is Indo-European, it may  be related to the adjective αργóς (argós) 'shimmering' or 'quick') from PIE *h₂erǵ-, hence also ἄργυρος (árguros) 'silver' with a meaning  "shining brightly" or similar.

 History

 Ancient  Argos

The Heraion of Argos.

A Neolithic settlement was located near the  central sanctuary of Argois, removed 45 stadia (8 km; 5 miles) from Argos,  closer to Mycenae . The temple was dedicated to "Argivian Hera". The main festival of that temple was the Hekatombaia , one of the major festivals of  Argos itself. Walter Burkert (Homo  necans, p. 185) connected the festival to the myth of the slaying  of Argus Panoptes by Hermes ("shimmering" or "quick"), and only  secondarily associated with mythological Argus (or the toponym).

Argos was a major stronghold of Mycenaean times, and along with the  neighbouring acropolis of Mycenae and Tiryns became a very early settlement because  of its commanding positions in the midst of the fertile plain of Argolis.

During Homeric times it belonged to a follower of Agamemnon and gave its name to the surrounding  district; the Argolid which the Romans knew as Argeia. The  importance of Argos was eclipsed by nearby Sparta after the 6th century BC.^{[dubious – discuss ]}

Because of its refusal to fight or send supplies in the Graeco-Persian Wars , Argos was shunned by most  other city-states.^{[  neededcitation]} Argos remained neutral or the ineffective ally of Athens during the 5th century BC struggles  between Sparta and Athens.

The Mythological kings of Argos are (in order): Inachus , Phoroneus , Argus , Triopas , Agenor , Iasus , Crotopus , Pelasgus (aka Gelanor ), Danaus , Lynceus , Abas , Proetus , Acrisius , Perseus , Megapénthês , Argeus , and Anaxagoras . An alternative version (supplied by  Tatiānus^[2])  of the original 17 consecutive kings of Argōs includes Apis , Argios, Kriasos, and Phorbas between Argus and Triopas, explaining  the apparent unrelation of Triopas to Argus.

After the original 17 kings of Argos, there were three kings ruling Argos at  the same time (see Anaxagoras ), one descended from Bias , one from Melampus , and one from Anaxagoras . Melampus was succeeded by his son Mantius , then Oicles , and Amphiaraus , and his house of Melampus lasted  down to the brothers Alcmaeon and Amphilochus .

Anaxagoras was succeeded by his son Alector , and then Iphis . Iphis left his kingdom to his nephew Sthenelus , the son of his brother Capaneus .

Bias was succeeded by his son Talaus , and then by his son Adrastus who, with Amphiaraus, commanded the  disastrous Seven Against Thebes . Adrastus bequethed the kingdom to his son, Aegialeus , who was subsequently killed in the  war of the Epigoni . Diomedes , grandson of Adrastus through his  son-in-law Tydeus and daughter Deipyle , replaced Aegialeus and was King of  Argos during the Trojan war. This house lasted longer than those of Anaxagoras and Melampus , and eventually the kingdom was  reunited under its last member, Cyanippus, son of Aegialeus, soon after the  exile of Diomedes.

Argos played a role in the Peloponnesian war and beyond.

 Medieval  Argos

The castle on Larissa Hill.

During the 12th century, a castle was built on Larissa Hill - the site of the  ancient Acropolis - called Kastro Larissa. Argos was captured by the  Crusaders, then the Venetians , and was taken by the Ottomans in 1463. Francesco Morosini captured it for Venice in 1686 but it was retaken by the Ottomans in 1715.

At the beginning of the Greek War of Independence , when many petty  local republics were formed in different parts of the country, the "Consulate of  Argos" was proclaimed on 26 May 1821, under the Senate of the Peloponnese . It had a single head of state,  styled Consul , 28 March 1821 - 26 May 1821:  Stamatellos Antonopoulos.

Later, Argos accepted the authority of the unified Provisional Government at  the First National Assembly at Epidaurus , and  eventually became part of the Kingdom of Greece .

 Modern  Argos

The city of Argos is the seat of the province of the same name, one of the  three subdivisions of the Argolis prefecture. According to the 2001 Greek  census, the city has a population of 27,550. It is the largest city in the  prefecture, one of the few prefectures in Greece where the largest city in  population is larger than the prefectural capital.

Considerable remains of the city survive and are a popular tourist  attraction. Agriculture, however, is the primary economic activity in the area,  with citrus fruits the predominant crop. Olives are also popular here.

Argos has a railway station on the Kalamata - Tripoli - Corinth line of the Hellenic Railways Organisation , and a junior  soccer team. The Archaeological Museum of Argos houses ancient  artifacts recovered not only from the principal archaeological sites of the  city, including the theater and agora but also from Lerna . [1]

 Greek  mythology on film

In the film Clash of the Titans , Zeus Acrisius arranges for his own daughter Danaë and her son Perseus , who is also the natural son of Zeus,  to be cast into the sea in a wooden chest to drown. Poseidon releases a sea monster known as the Kraken , which causes a tidal wave to devastate  the city and kill Acrisius. Danaë and Perseus survive and end up on Seriphos .

 Notable  people

• Acrisius , mythological king
• Acusilaus (6th century BC), logographer and  mythographer
• Ageladas (6th-5th century BC), sculptor
• Pheidon (7th century BC), king of Argos
• Polykleitos (5th-4th century BC), sculptor
• Polykleitos the Younger (4th century BC),  sculptor
• Telesilla (6th century BC), Greek poet
• Eleni Bakopanos (1954-), Canadian  politiciann