Argives

Argives are the inhabitants of Argos, the principal city of the Argolid in the Peloponnese, Greece. In ancient Greek sources the term also designates the broader population of the Argolid and, by extension, people from the Argolid region. In classical and epic literature, Argives is often used as a poetic or ethnographic label for Greeks from Argos, and at times as a synonym for Greek forces in general, especially in Homeric passages where they appear alongside other groups such as the Achaeans and the Danaans.

Historically, Argos was a major city-state from the Archaic through the Hellenistic periods and a rival to Sparta for regional influence. It played a leading role in various alliances and conflicts and hosted important religious centers, including the Heraion of Argos, one of the principal sanctuaries of Hera. Argive politics fluctuated with shifting alliances and power dynamics in the Peloponnese, and the city remained an important urban center even as its influence waxed and waned over the centuries. In the broader ancient world, Argos contributed to the political and cultural landscape of southern Greece and interacted with other major polities of the era.

Today, Argos is a modern town in Greece with a long historical continuum. Archaeological remains from the Mycenaean through the classical periods reflect its enduring significance, and the site continues to be a focus of scholarship and excavation that illuminate Argive history and culture.