ARGENTIERA ARGONAUTS. 



249 



fragments of the Gothic version of St Paul's Epistle 

 to the Romans were discovered by Knittel, in 1756, 

 in a codex rescriptus, in the ducal library of Wolfen- 

 buttel. It seems to have been written in the 6th 

 century ; and Angelo Maio (q. v.) lately discovered 

 fragments of the Maeso Gothic translation of the 

 Epistles of St Paul, made by Ulphilas ; also a codex 

 reacriptiia. These discoveries are interesting addi- 

 tions to the above-mentioned codex. 



ARGENTIKRA, or KIMOU (the ancient Cimolus) ; a 

 small island in the Archipelago, which belonged to 

 the government of the capudan pacha. It is rocky 

 and sterile. The inhabitants (Greeks) live in one 

 village, and are very poor. Formerly, silver mines 

 ..were worked here, whence its name. The whole 

 island is covered with a sort of chalk, called Cimolian 

 earth, which is used in the washing and bleaching of 

 linen. Lon. 24" 42' E. ; lat. 36 47' N. 



ARGII-HONTHS. See Argus. 



ARGIVES. See Argolis and Argos. 



ARGO. See Argonauts. 



ARGOL. See Argal. 



ARGOLIS ; the eastern region of Peloponnesus ; 

 bounded N. by Achaia and Corinth; N. E. by the 

 Saronic gulf; VV. by Arcadia ; S. by Laconia, and 

 S. W. by the Argolic gulf. The Greeks inhabiting 

 it were often calfed, by the ancient authors, Argives 

 and Argians. Hills and mountains alternate with 

 fruitful plains and valleys. According to the monu- 

 ments of Greek mythology, A. was peculiarly rich, 

 and early cultivated. Inachus, about 1800, and 

 Danaus, about 1500 B. C., came hither with colonists 

 from Egypt. Here reigned Pelops, an emigrant 

 from Asia Minor, from whom the peninsula derives 

 its name. Here, too, was afterwards the seat of 

 government of Atreus and Agamemnon, Adrastus, 

 Eurystheus, Diomedes. Here Hercules was born, 

 /n the morass of A. he slew the Lernaean hydra, 

 tuid, in the cave of Nemea, subdued the ferocious 

 lion. In the earliest times, it was divided into the 

 small kingdoms of Argos, Mycenae, Tirinthus, Troe- 

 zene, Hermione, and Epidaurus, which afterwards 

 formed free states. The chief city, Argos, has re- 

 tained its name since 1800 B.C. Its inhabitants 

 wore renowned for their love of the fine arts, parti- 

 cularly of music. Here, and in Delphi, statues were 

 erected to the brothers Biton and Cleobis, who fell 

 victims to their filial piety. In 1825, a high school 

 and a monitorial school were established at Argos. 

 Near this city lies Napoli di Romania (q. v.), the an- 

 cient Nattplia, with an excellent harbour, and the 

 most important fortress of the peninsula. On the 

 site of the present village Castri, on the JEgean sea, 

 formerly lay the city Hermione, with a grove dedi- 

 cated to the Graces ; opposite is the island of Hydra 

 (q. v.) Near the city of Epidaurus, the watering- 

 place of ancient Greece, on the ^Egean sea, jEscula- 

 pius (q. V.) had his temple. At Troezene, now the 

 village Damn/a, Theseus was born. 



ARGONAUTS ; in fabulous history, those heroes of 

 ancient Greece who performed a hazardous voyage 

 to Colchis, in quest of the golden fleece. jEson, 

 king of lolcos, in Thessaly, enfeebled by age, had 

 alxlicated the throne in favour of his son, Jason, and 

 appointed his brother-in-law, Pelias, to administer 

 the government during his son's minority. At the 

 time fixed, Jason appeared! to demand his father's 

 kingdom. Pelias, apparently ready to resign the 

 throne, required of him first to bring from Colchis 

 the golden fleece of the ram, on which Phryxus and 

 Helle (q. v., under Athamas) had escaped the perse- 

 cutions of their step-mother, I no; for Phryxus, hav- 

 ing sacrificed the ram, had hung up the fleece in a 

 consecrated grove at Colchis. The ambitious youth, 

 unconscious of the treacherous nature of the proposal, 



engaged to accomplish the tdvrnUire ; and the most 

 valiant heroes of Greece took part with him. Her- 

 cules, Castor and Pollux, Peleus, Admetus, Neleus, 

 Meleager, Orpheus, Telamon, Theseus and his friend 

 Pirithous, Hylas, and many others. They sailed 

 with favourable winds, from the promontory of Mag- 

 nesia, in a vessel called the Argo, built at the foot of 

 mount Pelion, in Thessaly, superior to all ships pre- 

 viously built in size and equipment. Tiphys, skilled 

 in navigation, managed the rudder, and the sharp- 

 sighted Lyncens explored the seas for the place ot 

 their destination. Orpheus elevated the courage of 

 his companions, when danger threatened, by music 

 and songs. When a tempest broke upon them, as he 

 was initiated into the mysteries, he made vows, with 

 the rest of his companions, to the Sainothraeian dei- 

 ties, upon which the storm was allayed ; and, to 

 show the interposition of the gods by a miracle, two 

 stars appeared over the heads of the Dioscuri. (See 

 Castor.) They happily reached the harbour of Lem- 

 nos, where they remained two years. The women 

 of Lemnos, instigated by the angry Venus, offended 

 with their husbands, and oppressed by their Thracian 

 concubines, avenged themselves by the murder of 

 their husbands, and detained among them the wel- 

 come strangers. At length they sailed to Samo- 

 tiirace, where, according to their vows, they caused 

 themselves to be initiated into the mysteries there. 

 Then they landed at Troas. Here Kylas rambled, 

 and lost his way, and Hercules, who went in search 

 of him, remaining too long on shore, the vessel sailed 

 without them. Telamon, also, left them here. 

 Thence they went to the city of Cyzicus, where the 

 king received them hospitably. But at night, being 

 forced back by a storm, they were taken for enemies ; 

 a contest followed, in which Jason slew the king, in 

 consequence of which Rhea, the guardian goddess of 

 the island, detained the Argo by magic. Having 

 appeased the angry deity, they sailedto the east, 

 and landed at Beorycia. Driven by a storm to the 

 shores of Thrace, the Argonauts sailed thence to 

 Salmydessa, where the blind soothsayer, Phineus, 

 was king. Phineus gave the strangers directions, 

 and a guide to conduct them through the Cyanean 

 rocks, which, driven furiously against each other by 

 the winds, dashed in pieces vessels passing through 

 them. Having arrived at the rocks, in compliance 

 with the advice of Phineus, they caused a dove to fly 

 through before them, and followed, rowing with all 

 their strength, while Orpheus played on his lyre. 

 The rocks stood firm, and the danger was escaped. 

 The last adventure awaited them at the island of 

 Aretias (or Dia.) Here they found the Stymphalides, 

 birds which shot their feathers like arrows, and from 

 which the heroes could only protect themselves by a 

 violent clashing of weapons. Having driven away 

 these dangerous monsters, they met with the sons of 

 Phryxus, who, having been sent by jEetes to Orcho- 

 menus, to take possession of their father's inheritance, 

 had been forced hither by storms. They relieved 

 these sufferers, and received from them much useful 

 information. At last, the shore of Colchis appeared 

 in view ; they landed, at night, at the mouth of the 

 Phasis. King jEetes, previously informed of the 

 design of the strangers, and fearing their power, did 

 not refuse, absolutely, to deliver the golden fleece, on 

 which his life depended, but charged Jason with three 

 labours, by which he hoped to destroy him. Jason was 

 to yoke the two fire-breathing bulls of Vulcan to a 

 ploughshare of adamant, and to plough with them four 

 acres of land consecrated to Mars, never before turned 

 up. He was then to sow in the furrows the remaining 

 serpents' teeth of Cadmus, in the possession of^Eetrs, 

 and to kill the armed heroes which they produced ; at 

 last, to fight with and slay the dragon that guarded the 



