Argus or Argos Panoptes ( grc, Ἄργος Πανόπτης, All-seeing Argos) is a many-eyed

giant In folklore, giants (from Ancient Greek: ''gigas'', cognate giga-) are beings of human-like appearance, but are at times prodigious in size and strength or bear an otherwise notable appearance. The word ''giant'' is first attested in 1297 fr ...

Greek mythology A major branch of classical mythology, Greek mythology is the body of myths originally told by the ancient Greeks, and a genre of Ancient Greek folklore. These stories concern the origin and nature of the world, the lives and activities ...

Mythology

Argus Panoptes (), guardian of the heifer-

nymph A nymph ( grc, νύμφη, nýmphē, el, script=Latn, nímfi, label= Modern Greek; , ) in ancient Greek folklore is a minor female nature deity. Different from Greek goddesses, nymphs are generally regarded as personifications of nature, are ...

Io and son of Arestor and probably

Mycene In Greek mythology, Mycene or Mykene (Ancient Greek: Μυκήνη), was a daughter of Inachus, king of Argos, the sister of Phoroneus, and the wife of Arestor. She was said to be the eponym of Mycenae. Mythology Homer's ''Odyssey'', calling he ...

(in other version son of Gaia), was a primordial

whose epithet ''Panoptes'', "all-seeing", led to his being described with multiple, often one hundred, eyes. The epithet ''Panoptes'' was applied to the

god In monotheistic thought, God is usually viewed as the supreme being, creator, and principal object of faith. Swinburne, R.G. "God" in Honderich, Ted. (ed)''The Oxford Companion to Philosophy'', Oxford University Press, 1995. God is typically ...

of the

Sun The Sun is the star at the center of the Solar System. It is a nearly perfect ball of hot plasma, heated to incandescence by nuclear fusion reactions in its core. The Sun radiates this energy mainly as light, ultraviolet, and infrared radi ...

, Helios, and was taken up as an epithet by

Zeus Zeus or , , ; grc, Δῐός, ''Diós'', label= genitive Boeotian Aeolic and Laconian grc-dor, Δεύς, Deús ; grc, Δέος, ''Déos'', label= genitive el, Δίας, ''Días'' () is the sky and thunder god in ancient Greek reli ...

, ''Zeus Panoptes''. "In a way,"

Walter Burkert Walter Burkert (; 2 February 1931 – 11 March 2015) was a German scholar of Greek mythology and cult. A professor of classics at the University of Zurich, Switzerland, he taught in the UK and the US. He has influenced generations of studen ...

observes, "the power and order of

Argos Argos most often refers to: * Argos, Peloponnese, a city in Argolis, Greece ** Ancient Argos, the ancient city * Argos (retailer), a catalogue retailer operating in the United Kingdom and Ireland Argos or ARGOS may also refer to: Businesses ...

the city are embodied in Argos the

neatherd A cowman is a person who works specifically with cattle. Usage Usage of the word "cowman" has significant geographic variation, though is sometimes used interchangeably with terms such as "stockman", "cattleman", "rancher" and "grazier." In ...

, lord of the herd and lord of the land, whose name itself is the name of the land." Fábula de Mercurio y Argos, by Diego Velázquez

The epithet ''Panoptes'', reflecting his mythic role, set by Hera as a very effective watchman of Io, was described in a fragment of a lost poem '' Aigimios'', attributed to Hesiod: In the 5th century and later, Argus' wakeful alertness was explained for an increasingly literal culture as his having so many eyes that only a few of the eyes would sleep at a time: there were always eyes still awake. In the 2nd century AD

Pausanias Pausanias ( el, Παυσανίας) may refer to: *Pausanias of Athens, lover of the poet Agathon and a character in Plato's ''Symposium'' *Pausanias the Regent, Spartan general and regent of the 5th century BC * Pausanias of Sicily, physician of t ...

noted at Argos, in the temple of Zeus Larissaios, an archaic image of Zeus with a third eye in the center of his forehead, allegedly Priam's ''Zeus Herkeios'' purloined from Troy. Argus was Hera's servant. His great service to the Olympian pantheon was to slay the chthonic

serpent Serpent or The Serpent may refer to: * Snake, a carnivorous reptile of the suborder Serpentes Mythology and religion * Sea serpent, a monstrous ocean creature * Serpent (symbolism), the snake in religious rites and mythological contexts * Serp ...

-legged monster

Echidna Echidnas (), sometimes known as spiny anteaters, are quill-covered monotremes (egg-laying mammals) belonging to the family Tachyglossidae . The four extant species of echidnas and the platypus are the only living mammals that lay eggs and the ...

as she slept in her cave. Hera's defining task for Argus was to guard the white heifer Io from Zeus, who was attracted to her, keeping her chained to the sacred olive tree at the Argive Heraion. She required someone who had at least a hundred eyes spread out, always watching in all directions, someone who would stay awake despite being asleep. Argos was meant to be the perfect guardian. She charged him to "Tether this cow safely to an olive-tree at Nemea". Hera knew that the heifer was in reality Io, one of the many nymphs Zeus was coupling with to establish a new order. To free Io, Zeus had Argus slain by

Hermes Hermes (; grc-gre, wikt:Ἑρμῆς, Ἑρμῆς) is an Olympian deity in ancient Greek religion and Greek mythology, mythology. Hermes is considered the herald of the gods. He is also considered the protector of human heralds, travelle ...

. The messenger of the Olympian gods, disguised as a shepherd, first put all of Argus' eyes asleep with spoken charms, then slew him by hitting him with a stone, the first stain of bloodshed among the new generation of gods. After beheading Argus, Hermes acquired the epithet Argeiphontes or “Argus-slayer”. The sacrifice of Argus liberated Io and allowed her to wander the earth, although tormented by a gadfly sent by Hera, until she reached the Ionian Sea, named after her, from where she swam to Egypt and gave birth to a love child of Zeus, according to some versions of the myth. According to

Ovid Pūblius Ovidius Nāsō (; 20 March 43 BC – 17/18 AD), known in English as Ovid ( ), was a Roman poet who lived during the reign of Augustus. He was a contemporary of the older Virgil and Horace, with whom he is often ranked as one of the th ...

, Argus had a hundred eyes. Hera had Argus' hundred eyes preserved forever in a

peacock Peafowl is a common name for three bird species in the genera '' Pavo'' and '' Afropavo'' within the tribe Pavonini of the family Phasianidae, the pheasants and their allies. Male peafowl are referred to as peacocks, and female peafowl are r ...

's tail so as to immortalise her faithful watchman. The myth makes the closest connection of Argus, the neatherd, with the

bull A bull is an intact (i.e., not castrated) adult male of the species ''Bos taurus'' (cattle). More muscular and aggressive than the females of the same species (i.e., cows), bulls have long been an important symbol in many religions, includin ...

. According to the mythographer Apollodorus, Argus, "being exceedingly strong ... killed the bull that ravaged Arcadia and clad himself in its hide".

Eponyms

Argus Panoptes is referenced in the scientific names of at least eight animals, each of which bears a pattern of eye spots: reptiles '' Cnemaspis argus,

Eremias argus ''Eremias argus'' (Korean:표범장지뱀,Chinese:丽斑麻蜥,Russian:Монгольская ящурка), also known commonly as the Mongolia racerunner, is a species of lizard in the family Lacertidae. The species is endemic to Asia. There ...

, Sibon argus'', '' Sphaerodactylus argus'', and the Argus monitor ''

Varanus panoptes The yellow-spotted monitor (''Varanus panoptes''), also known as the Argus monitor, is a monitor lizard found in northern and western regions of Australia and southern New Guinea. Taxonomy The first description of the species was provided in ...

'';Beolens, Bo; Watkins, Michael; Grayson, Michael (2011). ''The Eponym Dictionary of Reptiles''. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press. xiii + 296 pp. . ("Argus", p. 11). the pheasant '' Argusianus argus''; the fish

Cephalopholis argus ''Cephalopholis argus'', the peacock hind, roi, bluespotted grouper, and celestial grouper, is a species of marine ray-finned fish, a member of the subfamily Epinephelinae, the groupers, and part of the family Serranidae, which also includes the ...

and the cowry '' Arestorides argus''.

Gallery

Argus, Io and Hermes

File:Io Argos MAN Napoli Inv9556.jpg, Io wearing bovine horns watched over by Argos on Hera's orders, antique fresco from Pompeii File:Io changed into a cow, Mercury cuts of Argus's head.jpg, ''Io changed into a cow, Mercury cuts of Argus's head'' by

Bernard Picart Bernard Picart or Picard (11 June 1673 – 8 May 1733), was a French draughtsman, engraver, and book illustrator in Amsterdam, who showed an interest in cultural and religious habits. Life Picart was born in rue Saint-Jacques, Paris as ...

(1733) File:Jan van de Velde II - Mercurius and Argus AN01073198 001 l.jpg, ''Mercurius and Argus'' by

Jan van de Velde Jan van de Velde the younger (1593 – ca. 1 November 1641) was a Dutch Golden Age painter and engraver of animal, landscape and still-life subjects. He was the son of Jan van de Velde the Elder and the father of the still life painter Ja ...

(1615-1641) File:Ubaldo Gandolfi - Mercury Lulling Argus to Sleep, 1770-1775.jpg, ''Mercury Lulling Argus to Sleep'' by Ubaldo Gandolfi (c. 1770–1775) File:Ubaldo Gandolfi - Mercury About to Behead Argus, 1770-1775.jpg, ''Mercury About to Behead Argus'' by Ubaldo Gandolfi (c. 1770–1775) File:Alejandro de la Cruz - Mercury and Argus, 1773.jpg, ''Mercury and Argus''

Alejandro de la Cruz Alejandro de la Cruz (born 23 August 1998) is a Cuban artistic gymnast. In 2019, he represented Cuba at the Pan American Games The Pan American Games (also known colloquially as the Pan Am Games) is a continental multi-sport event in the ...

(1773) File:Mercury and Argus (Petr Ivanov).jpg, ''Mercury and Argus'' by Petr Ivanov (1776) File:Argus Guarding Io Who Has Been Transformed into a White Heifer by Jacopo Amigoni.jpg, ''Argus Guarding Io Who Has Been Transformed into a White Heifer''

Jacopo Amigoni Jacopo Amigoni (ca. 1685 – September 1752), also named Giacomo Amiconi, was an Italian painter of the late- Baroque or Rococo period, who began his career in Venice, but traveled and was prolific throughout Europe, where his sumptuous portrai ...

(18th century) File:Mercury about to Kill Argus Having Lulled Him to Sleep by Jacopo Amigoni.jpg, ''Mercury about to Kill Argus Having Lulled Him to Sleep'' by

(18th-century) File:Charles-André van Loo (attr) Mercury and Argus.jpg, ''Merkur und Argus'' by Charles-André van Loo (18th century) File:Jan Both - Landscape with Mercury and Argus.jpg, ''Landscape with Mercury and Argus'' by

Jan Both Jan Dirksz Both (between 1610 and 1618 - August 9, 1652) was a Dutch painter, draughtsman, and etcher, who made an important contribution to the development of Dutch Italianate landscape painting. Biography Both was born in Utrecht, and was ...

(c. 1650) File:Pesaro, mercurio e argo, xvi sec.JPG, ''Mercury and Argus'' File:Schnorr von Carolsfeld - Argos wird von Hermes eingeschläfert und getötet.jpg, ''Argos wird von Hermes'' by Julius Schnorr von Carolsfeld (1794–1872) File:Bertin Mercury killing Argus.JPG, ''Mercury killing Argus'' by

Nicolas Bertin Nicolas Bertin (1667 in Paris – 1736) was a French painter. A student of Jean Jouvenet, Vernansal the elder and Louis Boullongne (1657–1733), Louis Boullongne, he won the prix de Rome in 1685 for ''"Construction of Noah's ark"''. He was admi ...

(1700s) File:Hieronymus Cock Die Landschaft mit Merkur und Argus.jpg, ''Die Landschaft mit Merkur und Argus'' by

Hieronymus Cock Hieronymus Cock, or Hieronymus Wellens de Cock (1518 – 3 October 1570) was a Flemish painter and etcher as well as a publisher and distributor of prints.

(c. 1558) File:'Mercury and Argus' by Jacob Jordaens and Jan Wildens, 1640s, Norton Simon Museum.JPG, ''Mercury and Argus'' by Jacob Jordaens and

Jan Wildens Jan Wildens (1586 in Antwerp – 16 October 1653 in Antwerp) was a Flemish painter and draughtsman specializing in landscapes. His Realist landscapes show an eye for detail and have a serene character. He was a regular collaborator with Rube ...

(c. early 1640s) File:Abraham Bloemaert - Mercury, Argus and Io - Google Art Project.jpg, ''Mercury, Argus and Io'' by

Abraham Bloemaert Abraham Bloemaert (25 December 1566 – 27 January 1651) was a Dutch painter and printmaker in etching and engraving. He was initially working in the style of the " Haarlem Mannerists", but in the 16th century altered his style in line with the ...

(c. 1592) File:Abraham Danielsz. Hondius - Mercury and Argos - WGA11644.jpg, Mercury and Argos by

Abraham Hondius Abraham Danielsz. Hondius (about 1631 – 17 September 1691) was a Dutch Golden Age painter known for his depictions of animals. He was the son of a city stonemason, Daniel Abramsz de Hondt. Hondius was born in Rotterdam and trained under Piet ...

(2nd half of 17th century) File:Andrea Locatelli - Mercury and Argus - WGA13340.jpg, Mercury and Argus by

Andrea Locatelli Andrea Locatelli (19 December 1695 – 19 February 1741)Michel, Olivier (2003). "Locatelli, Andrea". Grove Art Online. was an Italian painter of landscapes (vedute). Locatelli (he spelled it Lucatelli) was born in Rome in 1695, as stat ...

(1st half of 18th century) File:Bisschop, Cornelis - Mercurius and Argus.jpeg, ''Mercurius, Argus and Io'' by Cornelis Bisschop (17th century) File:Claude Lorrain (imitator of) - Mercury and Argus - Google Art Project.jpg, ''Mercury and Argus'' by Follower of Claude Lorrain (17th century) File:Bonifacio de' Pitati - Mercurio uccide Argo.jpg, ''Mercury slaying Argus'' by

Bonifazio Veronese Bonifacio Veronese, birth name: Bonifacio de' PitatiAlso known as Bonifazio Veneziano (1487 – 19 October 1553) was an Italian Renaissance painter who was active in the Venetian Republic. His work had an important influence on the younger ge ...

File:René-Antoine Houasse - Mercure et Argus (Versailles).jpg, ''Mercury and Argus'' by

René-Antoine Houasse René-Antoine Houasse (c. 1645–1710) was a decorative French painter. He was a pupil of Charles Le Brun, under whose direction he worked at the Manufacture des Gobelins, and with whom he worked on the decoration of the Château de Versailles. ...

(c. 1688) File:Cornelis van Poelenburch (cirkel) - Mercury wiegt Argus een met zijn muziek.jpg, ''Mercury lulling Argus with his music'' by Circle of Cornelius van Poelenburgh (c. 1650) File:Jacob van Campen - Argus, Mercury and Io - 001.jpg, ''Argus, Mercury and Io'' by

Jacob van Campen Jacob van Campen (2 February 1596 - 13 September 1657) was a Dutch artist and architect of the Golden Age. Life He was born into a wealthy family at Haarlem, and spent his youth in his home town. Being of noble birth and with time on his hand ...

(c. 1630-1640) File:Johann Carl Loth - Mercury Piping to Argus - WGA13647.jpg, ''Mercury Piping to Argus'' by

Johann Carl Loth Johann Carl Loth (Baptized 8 August 1632 – 6 October 1698) was a German Baroque painter who spent most of his life in Venice. His name is also rendered as Johann Karl, Karel and, in Italy, Carlotto or Carlo Lotti.Jean Lemaire (1625-1640) File:Mercurio addormenta Argo suonando il flauto - Van Somer.jpg, ''Mercurio addormenta Argo suonando il flauto'' by

Hendrick de Somer Hendrick de Somer (1602–c.1655) was a Flemish people, Flemish painter who spent most of his life and career in Italy. He was mainly active in Naples.Stadsarchief Lokeren original baptism certificate : Parochieregister Lokeren : Hendrick de So ...

File:Mercury about to kill Argus having lulled him to sleep by Jacopo Amigoni (1730-1732).jpg, ''Mercury about to Kill Argus Having Lulled Him to Sleep'' by Jacopo Amigoni (1730-1732) File:Mercury and Argus LACMA M.90.20.jpg, ''Mercury and Argus'' by Carel Fabritius (between c. 1645 and c. 1647) File:Peter Paul Rubens - Mercury and Argos, 1636-1638.jpg, ''Mercury and Argos'' by Peter Paul Rubens (1636-1638) File:Peter Paul Rubens 080.jpg, ''Mercury and Argus'' by

Peter Paul Rubens Sir Peter Paul Rubens (; ; 28 June 1577 – 30 May 1640) was a Flemish artist and diplomat from the Duchy of Brabant in the Southern Netherlands (modern-day Belgium). He is considered the most influential artist of the Flemish Baroque tradi ...

(between 1635 and 1638) File:Pieter van Bloemen - Mercury and Argus.jpg, ''Mercury and Argus'' by

Pieter van Bloemen Pieter van Bloemen, also known as Standaart (bapt. 17 January 1657 – 6 March 1720), first name also spelled Peter or Peeter, was a Flemish painter. He was a gifted landscape and animal painter and was very successful with his compositions depict ...

(early 18th century) File:Меркурий усыпляет Аргуса.jpg, ''Hermes is putting Argus's eyes asleep to free Io'' by

Nikolay Koshelev Nikolay Andreyevich Koshelev (russian: Никола́й Андре́евич Ко́шелев) (1840 – 1918) was a Russian painter, illustrator and muralist. He specialized in portraits and genre scenes, as well as icon painting. Biography H ...

(1864) File:Меркурый і Аргус.JPG, ''Mercury and Argus'' by

Jan van Kessel the Elder Jan van Kessel the Elder or Jan van Kessel (I) (baptized 5 April 1626, Antwerp – 17 April 1679, Antwerp) was a Flemish painter active in Antwerp in the mid 17th century. A versatile artist he practised in many genres including studies of i ...

(before 1679) File:Paul Bril - Landscape with Mercury and Argus - WGA03194.jpg, ''Landscape with Mercury and Argus'' by

Paul Bril Paul Bril (1554 – 7 October 1626) was a Flemish painter and printmaker principally known for his landscapes.Nicola Courtright. "Paul Bril." Grove Art Online. Oxford Art Online. Oxford University Press. Web. 26 September 2016 He spent most of ...

(1606) File:Unknown maker, Flemish, 16th century - Landscape with Mercury and Argus - 71.PB.65 - J. Paul Getty Museum.jpg, ''Landscape with Mercury and Argus'' (c. 1570) File:Mercury Killing Argus LACMA M.71.76.19.jpg, ''Mercury Killing Argus'' by Hendrik Goltzius (1589) File:Mercury Putting Argus to Sleep - etching - 17.5 x 25.2 cm - Washington DC, NGA.jpg, ''Mercury Putting Argus to Sleep'' by

Hendrik Goltzius Hendrick Goltzius, or Hendrik, (; ; January or February 1558 – 1 January 1617) was a German-born Dutch printmaker, draftsman, and painter. He was the leading Dutch engraver of the early Baroque period, or Northern Mannerism, lauded for his s ...

(16th or 17th century) File:Mercury Killing Argus LACMA 65.37.94.jpg, ''Mercury Killing Argus'' by

Antonio Tempesta Antonio Tempesta, also called il Tempestino (1555 – 5 August 1630), was an Italian painter and engraver, whose art acted as a point of connection between Baroque Rome and the culture of Antwerp. Much of his work depicts major battles and his ...

(1606) File:Godfried Maes - Illustrations to the Metamorphoses of Ovid, Mercury Rescuing Io from Argus (3).jpg, ''Illustrations to the Metamorphoses of Ovid, Mercury Rescuing Io from Argus'' by

Godfried Maes Godfried Maes (baptised on 15 August 1649 Antwerp – 30 May 1700, Antwerp) was a Flemish painter, draughtsman and designer of tapestries. He was active as a painter of altarpieces and allegorical scenes. He was a prolific draughtsman who ma ...

(1664 - 1700) File:Francesco de Mura – Giunone affida Io ad Argo.tiff, ''Juno (Hera) commits Io to Argus Panoptes'' by

Francesco de Mura Francesco de Mura (21 April 1696 – 19 August 1782) was an Italian painter of the late- Baroque period, active mainly in Naples and Turin. His late work reflects the style of neoclassicism. Life Francesco de Mura, also referred to as ''Fran ...

(1696–1784)

Notes

References

* Apollodorus, ''Apollodorus, The Library, with an English Translation by Sir James George Frazer, F.B.A., F.R.S. in 2 Volumes.'' Cambridge, Massachusetts,

Harvard University Press Harvard University Press (HUP) is a publishing house established on January 13, 1913, as a division of Harvard University, and focused on academic publishing. It is a member of the Association of American University Presses. After the retir ...

; London, William Heinemann Ltd. 1921.
Online version at the Perseus Digital Library
*

Apollonius of Rhodes Apollonius of Rhodes ( grc, Ἀπολλώνιος Ῥόδιος ''Apollṓnios Rhódios''; la, Apollonius Rhodius; fl. first half of 3rd century BC) was an ancient Greek author, best known for the ''Argonautica'', an epic poem about Jason and t ...

, ''

Argonautica The ''Argonautica'' ( el, Ἀργοναυτικά , translit=Argonautika) is a Greek epic poem written by Apollonius Rhodius in the 3rd century BC. The only surviving Hellenistic epic, the ''Argonautica'' tells the myth of the voyage of Jason ...

'', edited and translated by William H. Race, Loeb Classical Library No. 1, Cambridge, Massachusetts,

, 2009.
Online version at Harvard University Press
* Fowler, R. L. (2013), ''Early Greek Mythography: Volume 2: Commentary'', Oxford University Press, 2013. . * Impelluso, Lucia, ''Gods and Heroes in Art'', Getty Publications, 2003. *

, ''

Metamorphoses The ''Metamorphoses'' ( la, Metamorphōsēs, from grc, μεταμορφώσεις: "Transformations") is a Latin narrative poem from 8 CE by the Roman poet Ovid. It is considered his ''magnum opus''. The poem chronicles the history of the ...

'', Brookes More, Boston, Cornhill Publishing Co. 1922
Online version at the Perseus Digital Library
*

, ''Pausanias Description of Greece with an English Translation by W.H.S. Jones, Litt.D., and H.A. Ormerod, M.A., in 4 Volumes''. Cambridge, MA, Harvard University Press; London, William Heinemann Ltd. 1918
Online version at the Perseus Digital Library
* Tortel C., (2019), ''Sacralisé, diabolisé: le paon dans les religions de l'Asie à la Méditerranée'', Geuthner, 2019. . * West, M. L., ''Greek Epic Fragments: From the Seventh to the Fifth Centuries BC''. Edited and translated by Martin L. West. Loeb Classical Library No. 497. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Harvard University Press, 2003
Online version at Harvard University Press

External links

Warburg Institute Iconographic Database (c. 250 images of Io and Argus)
{{Authority control Autochthons of classical mythology Children of Inachus Gigantes Greek giants Greek legendary creatures Legendary creatures with supernumerary body parts Deeds of Hera Metamorphoses characters Monsters in Greek mythology Argive characters in Greek mythology Arcadian mythology Eyes in culture Deeds of Hermes