Argos - Definition

Argos (Greek: Άργος, Árgos) is a city in Greece in the Peloponnesus near Nafplio, which was its historic harbor, named for Nauplius. The region of Argos was called the Argolid. It was a major stronghold of Mycenaean times, but the pre-Greek name of its acropolis, Larissa, reveals that it was a Pelasgian settlement. Its founding myth can be read at the entry for Danaus. In 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. Eclipsed by nearby Sparta after the 6th century BC, Argos remained neutral or the ineffective ally of Athens during the 5th century BC struggles between Sparta and Athens.

Considerable remains of the city survive and are a popular tourist attraction. Citrus fruits also dominate Argos, and the entire valley in agriculture. According to the 2001 Greek census, the city has a population of 27,550.

Argos also refers to:

• Odysseus' dog from Homer's Odyssey. Argos recognized him after nineteen years of absence.
• In Greek mythology:
  • Argus (Argos) is the son of Zeus and Niobe. Zeus' first child by a mortal.
  • The name of a town in Argolis, Greece.
  • A 100-eyed giant who guarded Io.
  • The son of Jason and Medea. For the ship on which Jason and the Argonauts sailed, see the Argo.

• Argos, a major general-goods retailer with over 500 stores in the United Kingdom. Argos is famous for selling goods using a catalogue format, where customers place orders at a till in store for items selected from a catalogue. They are then fetched by an employee from a stock room in the store to a counter for the customer to collect. It also sells goods via the internet. External link: Argos website (http://www.argos.co.uk/).

• Argos, the short name for the Toronto Argonauts of the CFL.

• Argos is a satellite based system for environmental data collection. Argos System

See also Argus.