(Argives; Ἀργολίς, Ἀργεῖοι; Argolís, Argeîoi). By modern common practice collective name for the north-eastern region of the  Peloponnese, consisting of the Argive plains and its fringes and the mountainous Argolic Acte. In ancient times, too, the term A. was used in the modern sense, parallel with the more common form of the ethnic Ἀργεῖα ( Argeîa), which was mostly exclusively restricted to the territory of  Argos (Plut. Ages. 31). In its landscape and climate, the entire region is part of the arid zone of eastern Greece (πολυδίψιον Ἄργος: Hom. Il…

[German version] (Κοκκύγιον ὄρος; Kokkýgion ŕos). ‘Cuckoo mountain’, another name for the mountain Thornax, west of  Hermion(e) on the Argolid headland, with sanctuaries of Zeus and Apollo; today's Hagios Elias. References: Paus. 2,36,1f.; schol. Theoc. 15,64. Lafond, Yves (Bochum) Bibliography A. Foley, The Argolid 800-600 B.C., 1988, 184.

[German version] (Τημένιον; Tēménion). Coastal town about 6 km to the south of Argos [II 1] with sanctuaries to Temenus, Poseidon, and Aphrodite (Str. 8,6,2; Paus. 2,36,6; 2,38,1 ff.); remains survive (to some extent under water). The long walls of Argos probably ended in T. (cf. Thuc. 5,82,5 f.; 5,83,2 on the year 417 BC). Tausend, Sabine Bibliography A. Folley, The Argolid, 1988, 196  E. Zangger, The Geoarchaeology of the Argolid, 1993, 62 f.

[German version] (Μάσης; Másēs). Location and harbour on the southwestern coast of the Argolid peninsula on the eastern shore of the bay of Koilada, north west of the modern village of Kampo, with few ancient remains. Mentioned in Hom. Il. 2,562; in the historical period it was the port of Hermion(e). References: Str. 8,6,17; Paus. 2,35,11; 36,1f.; Steph. Byz. s.v. Μ.; Eust. in Hom. Il. 288,11. Lafond, Yves (Bochum) Bibliography R. Baladié, Le Péloponnèse de Strabon, 1980, 240f. M. Jameson, Inscriptions of the Peloponnesos, in: Hesperia 22, 1953, 167f. C. N. Runnels, T. H. van Andel, The …

[German version] (Οἰωνός; Oiōnós). Son of Licymnius [1], from Midea in the Argolid, companion of Heracles [1], first winner of a race in the Olympic games (Pind. Ol. 10,64ff. with schol.); he was slain in Sparta by the sons of Hippocoon because he had killed their dog; a grave of O. was shown there (Apollod. 2,143f.; Paus. 3,15,3ff.). O.' death is considered the reason for Heracles' fight against the Hippocoontids. Käppel, Lutz (Kiel)

[German version] (Ὀλίγυρτος; Olígyrtos). Mountain range in north-eastern Arcadia (Pol. 4,11,5; 70,1; Plut. Cleomenes 26,3), whose highest mountain is Skipiza (1934 m); it is the meeting-point of the borders of Argolid, Corinthus and Arcadia. Important crossings from the plateau of Orchomenus [3] and Caphyae to Stymphalus and Phlius. Lienau, Cay (Münster) Bibliography E. Meyer, s.v. Oligyrtos, RE 17, 2477-2479  Id., Peloponnesische Wanderungen, 1939, 276f.

[German version] (Παρθένιον/ Parthénion). The lowest part of the Argive-Arcadian border range (elevation up to 1215 m at Hagios Elias) with important roads connecting the Argolid and Arcadia (Arcadians), at elevations from 753 to 900 m, still called Partheni today. Sources: Hdt. 6,105,1ff. [1. 472f.]; Paus. 8,6,4; 54,6f. Lafond, Yves (Bochum) Lienau, Cay (Münster) Bibliography 1 Jost. Pritchett 3, 1980, 81-95; 4, 1982, 80-87; 6, 1989, 107-111  Müller, 820.

[German version] This item can be found on the following maps: Aegean Koine | Aegean Koine (Λέρνη; Lérnē, modern Myli). Settlement 40 stadia ( c. 7 km) south of Argus with a sacred grove, bordered by the rivers Pontinos in the north and Amymone in the south, with about a dozen rich springs, which are personified in the legend of the Lernaean Hydra [1]. The lake to the west of the Argive Plain (the ‘Halcyonian Pool’, which was considered to be bottomless and the entrance to Underworld) has existed since the Neolithic; …

[German version] (Λυρκεία, Λύρκειον; Lyrkeía, Lýrkeion). Settlement c. 12 km north-west of Argos in the Inachus valley (Paus. 2,25,4f.; Str. 6,2,4), located either on the site of the ruins of Skala, or on the site of the modern Lyrkeia (formerly Kato Belesi), or east of the modern Sterna on the left bank of the Inachus. The pre-Homeric city was probably sited near Melissi (Mycenaean necropolis). Following Argos' rise, L. remained a politically dependent kṓmē . According to Str. 8,6,7 [1. 70], the river Inachus [2] rose from the mountain range also n…

[German version] This item can be found on the following maps: Macedonia, Macedones (ἡ Μεθάνα; hē Methána or τὰ Μέθανα; tà Méthana). Peninsula and city on the north coast of the Argolid peninsula. The circular peninsula, about 9 km across and with a highest elevation of 743 m, is linked to the mainland by a 300 m wide isthmus. It consists almost entirely of young volcanic rocks and lava flows. The last known eruption, to which a crater and a lava flow on the northwestern coast still bear witness today, took place at…

[German version] Mycenaean Greek term (cf. e.g. nom. sg. wa-na-ka = wanaks, dat. sg. wa-na-ka-te = wanaktei and adjective wa-na-ka-te-ro = wanakteros) for the 'king' (ruler, sovereign, highest dignitary) in Mycenaean petty kingdoms at the end of the 13th cent. BC, on Crete (Knossos), in the Argolid (Mycenae), in Messenia (Pylos [2] II) and in Boeotia (Thebes [2] II A). The Greeks (describing themselves as Ἕλληνες, 'Hellenes') presumably were one of the causes of the change from Early Helladic II to Early Helladic III c. 2500 BC by migrating into what was later named Greece aft…

[German version] (Δαναοί; Danaoí). Middle Helladic ethnic group [1] of uncertain etymology; mentioned in Egypt in the 14th cent. BC on the base of the monument to Amenophis III in Karnak as Danaia ( tniw) in connection with the Argolid/Peloponnese [2], possibly also connected with the Danuna belonging to the sea peoples, who were conquered by Ramses III in 1190 BC [3]. Used in the Homeric epics as a metric variant, as are ‘Argeioi’ and  ‘Achaean’, to describe the Greek population as a whole (e.g. Il. 9,34ff.; 9,370f.) [4]. Following the sam…

[German version] This item can be found on the following maps: Achaeans, Achaea | Arcadians, Arcadia (Ἡραία; Hēraía). Western Arcadian city on the right bank of the central course of the Alpheius, shortly before the mouth of the Ladon, with extensive territory, comprising a number of fortified settlements. H. was of strategic importance because of its location on a major road, linking Elis, Arcadia, and the Argolid. According to Paus. 8,26,1, the city was located on a plateau, rising gently from the banks of the…

(Μίδεια; Mídeia or Μιδέα; Midéa). [German version] [1] City in Argolis This item can be found on the following maps: Mycenaean culture and archaeology | Mineral Resources City in Argolis, in mythology (cf. Paus. 2,16; 25) one of the most important cities in the region. It had a Mycenaean citadel and palace on a steep hill about 1 km from modern Dendra in the northeast of the Argolian plain. Already abandoned in the Mycenaean period. Tholos tombs with rich finds, several burial chambers. New excavations started in 1983. Th…

[German version] This item can be found on the following maps: Grain Trade, Grain Import | Achaeans, Achaea | Macedonia, Macedones | Peloponnesian War | Persian Wars (epigraphically and literarily Ἑρμιών; Hermiṓn and Ἑρμιόνη; Hermiónē, ethnikon Ἑρμιονεῖς; Hermioneîs). Town in the eastern area of the Argolid, modern Ermioni, whose territory comprised the south-east of the area of Cape Thermisi 6 km east of H. to Cape Iri south of the Bedeni stream. H. owed its importance to the two well-protected harbours, separated by narrow, elong…

[German version] This item can be found on the following maps: Achaeans, Achaea | Arcadians, Arcadia (Στύμφαλος/ Stýmphalos, Στύμφηλος/ Stýmphēlos). City in northeastern Arcadia on the northern edge of a karst basin (590 m elevation) with no outlet, the majority of which is occupied by a swampy lake occasionally dried out by infiltration into the soil. Communication routes led to Pheneus in the west, Phlius in the east and Alea [3] and Orchomenus [3] in the south; in the north, the Cyllene [1] mountains formed a b…

This item can be found on the following maps: Grain Trade, Grain Import | Achaeans, Achaea | Apollo | Macedonia, Macedones | Persian Wars | Pompeius | Education / Culture (Τροιζήν/ Troizḗn only since the 2nd cent. BC and literary; originally Τροζάν/ Trozán, Ionic Τροζήν/ Trozḗn; Lat. Troezen, Troezene, Troezena). [German version] I. Location and history Town on the north coast of the Argolid near present-day T. (formerly Damala) on the northern slope of the Anderes mountain range (present-day Phorbantion). The region of T. encompassed the entire eas…

This item can be found on the following maps: Theatre | Doric Migration | Dark Ages | Linear B | Mycenaean culture and archaeology | Persian Wars | Aegean Koine | Aegean Koine | Education / Culture | Mineral Resources (Μυκῆναι/ M ukênai, Μυκήνη/ Mykḗnē; Lat. Mycena; Mycenae). [German version] I. Mycenaean period Settlement on a steep spur in the northern foothills of the Argolid. The oldest traces of settlement date from the early Bronze Age (2900-2500 BC). M. is the most important centre of Mycenaean culture. Excavations were carried out by H. S…

[German version] Historical epic (HE), understood as a narrative depiction of events in the near or distant past, generally appears in Greek literature in three distinct forms: archaeological-ktistic ( Ktisis-poems), historical-military and historical-encomiastic (the latter two mostly treat recent history, the historical-encomiastic concentrates on the figure of one single person). In the archaic period, HE used the elegiac distich as its metre more frequently than the hexameter. This is perhaps because the distich was used as the recitative …

[German version] [1] Horrific monster Female monster in Greek mythology. According to the canonical version of the myth (Apollod. 2,4,1-2),  Perseus must get the head of  Medusa, the mortal sister of Sthenno and Euryale (Hes. Theog. 276f.; POxy. 61, 4099), the daughters of Phorcys and Ceto (cf. Aeschylus' drama Phorcides, TrGF 262). The three sisters live on the island of Sarpedon in the ocean (Cypria, fr. 23; Pherecydes FGrH 3 F 11), although Pindar (Pyth. 10,44-48) located them among the Hyperboraeans ( Hyperborei). Their connection to the s…