The Argolis (Argolid) Peninsula lies between the Saronic and Argolic gulfs in northeast Peloponnese; bounded by Laconia in the southwest, Arcadia to the west and Corinthia to the northwest. The name ‘Argolis’ comes from the region’s principal city during the Archaic and Classical periods, Argos.
Argos is located three miles (≈5 km) inland on the western rim of the Argive Plain on the neck of the peninsula. With its farmland and twin citadels upon the Aspis and Larissa hills Argos was a fortress and a cult centre by the Early Bronze Age. During the Mycenaean period it shared pre-eminence with the overlord city of Mycenae, just across the plain, and with nearby Tiryns.
After the collapse of the Mycenaean civilisation, Argos was believed to have fallen to the legendary Temenus, the eldest of the Heraclids. Early in the seventh century BC Pheidon unified the Argive Plain and occupied the island of Aegina. It was probably he that then led the Argives to a decisive victory over the Spartans at Hysiae (c.669 BC). With this success he extended Argive influence over the western regions of the Peloponnese where he presided over the Olympic Games. His successes were probably in large part due to his use of hoplite troops, the possession of which by many Greek states revolutionised their early history. His power died with him.
Towards the end of the century kingship was replaced by an aristocratic or oligarchic junta that proved to be incapable of uniting the Argolid, much less the Peloponnese. Cleisthenes of Sicyon challenged Argos’ claim to regional supremacy by erasing all veneration of its hero Adrastus. Argos’ only response seems to have been to elevate the Neamean Games, held at the scene of Heracles’ First Labour (the killing of the Nemean Lion), at which Adrastus was especially honoured.
When in c.560 BC Argos expelled the people of the town of Nauplia the Spartans declared that they would protect other Peloponnesian states against such encroachments. In c.546 BC the Spartans invaded the Thyreatis Plain, which at that time was occupied by the Argives. When the two forces met it was agreed that three hundred men from each army would fight it out. When this limited engagement – the Battle of the Champions – proved inconclusive, a pitched battle ensued from which the Spartans emerged victorious.
In 494 BC Cleomenes-I (r.c.520-c.489 BC) landed a large army on the coast of the Argolid near Tiryns and in the ensuing Battle of Sepeia the Argive army was utterly destroyed. This victory confirmed Sparta’s supremacy in Southern Greece, and the Argives were never again a major power.
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