Argos is a city in Argolis, or sometimes Argolis itself. The name of the Argives, inhabitants of Argos and Argolis, has been often used to design all Greeks.

Foundation and name

The founder of what was to become Argos, the 'City of Phoroneus', is Phoroneus, son of the river god Inachus, and said to be the first man. Phoroneus was king of what later was named the Peloponnesus [for the dispute over the patronage of Argos between Hera and Poseidon, see the latter].

Phoroneus' daughter Niobe 1, the first mortal woman whom Zeus loved, gave birth to Phoroneus' successor Argus 5, who called the Peloponnesus after himself, Argos.

Invasion and change of dynasty

During the reign of Gelanor, seventh king of this dynasty, the invasion of Danaus 1 took place, and Gelanor surrendered the kingdom of Argos to him.

Danaus 1 had originally been settled in Libya by his father, King Belus 1 of Egypt, while Danaus 1's brother Aegyptus 1 was settled in Arabia. As the brothers later quarrelled, and Danaus 1 feared the sons of Aegyptus 1, he built a ship—being the first to do so—and, having put his 50 daughters (the DANAIDS) on board, he fled to Hellas, where he took the kingdom of Argos from Gelanor, and named the inhabitants Danaans after himself.

Relatives of Danaus 1

The sons of Aegyptus 1, however, came after him, and Danaus 1 had to consent in marrying his daughters to them. It was all pretension, for during their wedding night all the DANAIDS except one murdered their husbands, a terrible deed for which they are still been punished in Hades by having to carry water to fill a leaky jar.

Lynceus 2, son of Aegyptus 1 and the only husband to have been spared during the bloody wedding night, succeeded his father-in-law, being himself succeeded on the throne by his son Abas 2.

Brothers fight each other

The sons of Abas 2—Acrisius and Proetus 1—were twins who already quarrelled while still being in their mother's womb. These were the first to divide the kingdom of Argos. When the time for them to rule came, they decided to divide their inheritance by the sword and, while waging war against each other, they were the first to invent shields. Acrisius won the civil war and drove Proetus 1 from Argos. Proetus 1 then went to Lycia where his father-in-law was king and, having received an army of Lycians, he returned and occupied Tiryns. The Argive territory was then divided between the brothers, and Acrisius reigned over Argos and Proetus 1 over Tiryns.

Exchange of kingdoms

After these events, an oracle declared that Acrisius' daughter Danae would give birth to a son who would kill him. Fearing the prophecy, Acrisius built a brazen chamber and there he guarded Danae. But when his daughter was anyway seduced, he put her and her child Perseus 1 in a chest and cast it into the sea. In time the oracle was fulfilled and Perseus 1 did kill Acrisius, as it seems accidentally, but not wishing to inherit the kingdom of the man he had killed, he exchanged kingdoms with King Megapenthes 2 of Tiryns, son of Proetus 1. So Megapenthes 2 reigned over the Argives, and Perseus 1 reigned over Tiryns and also over Mycenae, which he founded.

Further divison

During the reign of Proetus 1, the king's daughters went mad, and Melampus 1—an excellent seer who understood the language of birds and worms, and the first to devise a cure by means of drugs—healed the daughters of Proetus 1 of their madness, receiving for that the third part of the kingdom of Argos.

But this perhaps happened during the reign of Anaxagoras, the son or grandson of Megapenthes 2; under his reign, it is said, the women went mad and they were healed by Melampus 1, who received two-thirds of Anaxagoras' kingdom in return.

Pedigree of Melampus 1

Melampus 1 was son of Amythaon 1 of Pylos, son of Cretheus 1 (the founder of Iolcus), son of Thessalian Aeolus 1, son of Hellen 1 (eponym of the Hellenes), son either of Deucalion 1 (the man who survived The Flood), or of Zeus. Melampus 1 shared the kingdom with his brother Bias 1, and both are sometimes said to have married the daughters of Proetus 1.

Three kingdoms

In this way three kingdoms of Argos were created, the brothers Melampus 1 and Bias 1 reigning over two of them, and the third being ruled by King Alector 1, son of Anaxagoras. When their descendants Iphis 1 (son of Alector 1), Adrastus 1 (grandson of Bias 1) and Amphiaraus (descendant of Melampus 1) were kings of Argos, it occurred the war of the SEVEN AGAINST THEBES.

War

For Adrastus 1 had promised his son in law Polynices that he would restore him to his native land Thebes, whence he had been banished. As they were consulting their allies, they discovered that Amphiaraus refused to join the coalition. This was so because Amphiaraus, being a seer, knew that all who joined Adrastus 1 would perish. But Iphis 1 knew how to persuade Amphiaraus to go to war; so Polynices went to see him, and Iphis 1 told him that Amphiaraus could be persuaded if Eriphyle (Amphiaraus' wife) got the Necklace of Harmonia 1 [see Robe & Necklace of Harmonia 1 to follow this story].

War again

Through bribes the war of the SEVEN AGAINST THEBES was made possible. The SEVEN perished—as Amphiaraus knew they would—, but their sons, the EPIGONI, took Thebes in a second war ten years after the first. The kings of Argos at the time of the war of the EPIGONI were Sthenelus 2 (son of Iphis 1), Aegialeus 1 (son of Adrastus 1) and Amphilochus 1 (son of Amphiaraus).

And again

Sthenelus 2 is also one of the ACHAEAN LEADERS who sailed against Troy. Amphilochus 1 fought in the Trojan War, but he is said to have been killed by Apollo after the war at Soli, a city in Cilicia (mainland in front of Cyprus).

In addition to these, also Diomedes 2, one of the ACHAEAN LEADERS, fought in Troy. Diomedes 2's wife was Aegialia, daughter of Adrastus 1 (though some say she is his granddaughter). When after the war Diomedes 2 went back to Argos, Aegialia plotted against him, but he took sanctuary at the altar of Hera, and fleeing with his companions by night, he passed into Italy. Some affirm that the Palladium that was in Troy was brought by Diomedes 2 to Argos.

Reunification of Argos

Cylarabes, son of Sthenelus 2, became king of the reunified Argos after the Trojan War, and, being childless, was succeeded by Orestes 2, son of Agamemnon. Orestes 2 ruled over a vast territory including Mycenae, Messenia and Pylos, Laconia and Sparta, and Argos. He was succeded by Tisamenus 2, his son by Hermione (daughter of Menelaus and Helen), but then occurred the return of the HERACLIDES.