Listed 3 sub titles with search on: Archaeological sites for wider area of: "ARGOS Town ARGOLIS" .
ELLINIKO (Village) ARGOS
At the distance of about a mile from the Erasinus,
and about half a mile to the right of the road, the remains of a pyramid are found,
occupying the summit of a rocky eminence among the lower declivities of Mt. Chaon.
Its site corresponds to that of the sepulchral monuments of the Argives,
mentioned by Pausanias (ii. 24.7); but its style of architecture would lead us
to assign to it an early date. The masonry of this edifice is of an intermediate
style between the Cyclopian and polygonal, consisting of large irregular blocks,
with a tendency, however, to quadrangular forms and horizontal courses; the inequalities
being, as usual, filled up with smaller pieces. The largest stones may be from
four to five feet in length, and from two to three in thickness. There are traces
of mortar between the stones, which ought, perhaps, to be assigned rather to subsequent
repairs than to the original workmanship. The symmetry of the structure is not
strictly preserved, being interrupted by a rectangular recess cutting off one
corner of the building. In this angle there is a doorway, consisting of two perpendicular
side walls, surmounted by an open gable or Gothic arch, formed by horizontal layers
of masonry converging into an apex, as in the triangular opening above the Gate
of Lions and Treasury of Atreus. This door gives access to a passage between two
walls. At its extremity on the right hand is another doorway, of which little
or nothing of the masonry is preserved, opening into the interior chamber or vault
(Mure, vol. ii. p. 196) This was not the only pyramid in the Argeia.
A second, no longer existing, is mentioned by Pausanias (ii. 25.7) on the road
between Argos and Tiryns;
a third, of which remains exist, is described by Gell (Itinerary of Greece, p.
102), on the road between Nauplia
and Epidaurus; and there
was probably a fourth to the S. of Lerna,
since that part of the coast, where Danaus is said to have landed, was called
Pyramia. (Plut. Pyrrh. 32; Paus. ii.38.4). It is a curious circumstance that pyramids
are found in the Argeia,
and in no other part of Greece, especially when taken in connection with the story
of the Aegyptian colony of Danaus.
This extract is from: Dictionary of Greek and Roman Geography (1854) (ed. William Smith, LLD). Cited April 2005 from The Perseus Project URL below, which contains interesting hyperlinks
Region: Argolid
Periods: Early Bronze Age, Middle Bronze Age, Late Bronze Age, Dark
Age, Geometric, Archaic, Classical, Hellenistic, Roman, Byzantine, Modern
Type: Fortified city
Summary: One of the major Mycenaean and ancient city-states of the
Peloponnese.
Physical Description:
Argos lies ca. 7 km inland, near the center of the 200
square km Argive plain, and between the bases of the Aspis and Larissa hills and
the Kharadros river. The W half of the modern town of Argos covers the ancient
city and excavations have been limited to small areas and rescue work. Features
that have been excavated or investigated include the theater, agora, sanctuary
of Apollo and Athena, the Roman odeion and baths, and sections of the Classical
circuit wall.
Description:
Traditionally Argos was claimed as one of the oldest cities
of ancient Greece, and the birthplace of Perseus, the son of Danae and Zeus. Some
Neolithic remains have been found in the area, but the best evidence for early
occupation is the Early to Middle Helladic settlement on the summit of Aspis.
By Mycenaean times the center of settlement had moved to the higher Larissa hill
to the W (where the Frankish castle now stands). Although Argos was a major Mycenaean
center and its citizens figure prominently in the Homeric epics, the city was
over-shadowed by nearby Mycenae. After the fall of the Mycenaean Empire Argos
seems to have had the predominant role in the Peloponnese until the 6th century
B.C. when it begins a long struggle with Sparta. Throughout the Classical period
Argos allied itself with Corinth or Athens against Sparta. In 229 B.C. Argos joined
the Achaean League and after 146 B.C. it became part of the Roman province of
Achaea. Substantial Roman building activity indicates prosperity in the 1st to
5th centuries A.D. Argos was capital of King Pheidon and home of sculptors Ageladas
and Polykleitos.
Exploration:
In 1892, I. Kophiniotis partially excavated the theater;
between 1902 and 1930 W. Vollgraff carried out several excavations on behalf of
the French School. French School excavations have continued under the direction
of G. Daux and P. Courbin since 1952.
Donald R. Keller, ed.
This text is cited Nov 2002 from The Perseus Project URL below, which contains 61 image(s), bibliography & interesting hyperlinks.
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