Editing Argos, Peloponnese (section)

==History==
===Antiquity===
[[File:Argos,_Triobol,_c.270-250_BC,_HGC_5-670.jpg|left|thumb|[[Obol (coin)|Triobol]] of Argos, struck {{circa|270–250 BC}}. {{abbr|Obv.|Obverse}}: forepart of a wolf, alluding to [[Apollo|Apollo Lykeios]], the patron-god of the city; {{abbr|rev.|reverse}}: large A (for Argos) within an incuse square.<ref>Oliver D. Hoover, ''Handbook of Coins of the Peloponnesos: Achaia, Phleiasia, Sikyonia, Elis, Triphylia, Messenia, Lakonia, Argolis, and Arkadia, Sixth to First Centuries BC'' [The Handbook of Greek Coinage Series, Volume 5], Lancaster/London, Classical Numismatic Group, 2011, pp. 157, 161.</ref>|238x238px]]

[[Herodotus]] first recorded the myth of the traditional story of Argos being the origin of the [[Macedonia (ancient kingdom)|ancient Macedonian]] royal house of the [[Argead dynasty]] (Greek: Ἀργεάδαι, Argeádai) of [[Philip II of Macedon|Philip II]] and [[Alexander the Great]].<ref>Herodotus, ''[[Histories (Herodotus)|The Histories]]'', 8.137–139</ref> As a strategic location on the fertile plain of Argolis, Argos was a major stronghold during the Mycenaean era. In [[classical antiquity|classical times]], Argos was a powerful rival of [[Sparta]] for dominance over the Peloponnese, but was eventually shunned by other Greek city-states after remaining neutral during the [[Greco-Persian Wars]].<ref>{{cite book|last=Roberts|first=John|title=Dictionary of the Classical World|year=2005|publisher=Oxford University Press|isbn=978-0-19-280146-3|page=66}}</ref> 
[[File:Argos Heraion Plain.jpg|thumb|left|The [[Heraion of Argos]]]]
[[File:Ancient peloponnese.svg|thumb|Ancient Peloponnese]]
[[File:Ancient Regions Peloponnese.png|thumb|Ancient regions of Peloponnese (southern mainland Greece).]]

There is evidence of continuous settlement in the area starting with a village about 7,000 years ago in the late [[Neolithic]], located on the foot of Aspida hill.<ref name="Bolender2010"/>{{rp|124}} Since that time, Argos has been continually inhabited at the same geographical location. And while the name ''Argos'' is generally accepted to have a [[Hellenic languages|Hellenic]] [[Indo-European languages|Indo-European]] etymology, ''Larissa'' is generally held to derive from a [[Pre-Greek substrate]].

The city is located at a rather propitious area, among [[Nemea]], [[Corinth]] and [[Arcadia (regional unit)|Arcadia]]. It also benefitted from its proximity to lake [[Lerna]], which, at the time, was at a distance of one kilometre from the south end of Argos.

===Mycenaean Argos===
Argos was a major stronghold of [[Mycenaean Greece|Mycenaean]] times, and along with the neighbouring acropolis of [[Mycenae]] and [[Tiryns]] became a very early settlement because of its commanding positions in the midst of the fertile plain of Argolis.

===Archaic Argos===
Argos experienced its greatest period of expansion and power under the energetic 7th century BC ruler King [[Pheidon]]. Under Pheidon, Argos regained sway over the cities of the [[Argolid]] and challenged [[Sparta]]'s dominance of the Peloponnese. Spartan dominance is thought to have been interrupted following the [[Battle of Hysiae (c. 669 BC)|Battle of Hyssiae]] in 669–668 BC, in which Argive troops defeated the Spartans in a hoplite battle.<ref>Mackil, Emily, Tyrants in Seventh Century Greece, Lecture, 20 September 2018</ref> During the time of its greatest power, the city boasted a pottery and bronze sculpturing school, pottery workshops, tanneries and clothes producers. Moreover, at least 25 celebrations took place in the city, in addition to a regular local products exhibition.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://argolika.gr/index.php/2014-25-96-44-85-11/2013-44-34-89-23-12/2013-10-18-08-30-27/5330-methysoi-kleftes-sykofantes |title=ΑΡΓΟΛΙΚΑ – Μέθυσοι, κλέφτες και συκοφάντες οι αρχαίοι Αργείτες |access-date=6 March 2015 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150225040259/http://argolika.gr/index.php/2014-25-96-44-85-11/2013-44-34-89-23-12/2013-10-18-08-30-27/5330-methysoi-kleftes-sykofantes |archive-date=25 February 2015 }}</ref> A sanctuary dedicated to Hera was also found at the same spot where the monastery of Panagia Katekrymeni is located today. Pheidon also extended Argive influence throughout Greece, taking control of the Olympic Games away from the citizens of Elis and appointing himself organizer during his reign. Pheidon is also thought to have introduced reforms for standard weight and measures in Argos, a theory further reinforced with the unearthing of six "spits" of iron in an Argive Heraion, possibly remainders of a dedication from Pheidon.{{citation needed|date=June 2021}}

===Classical Argos===
[[File:Ancient Argos - Theatre 2.jpg|thumb|View of the [[Argos Theater|ancient theatre]]]]
In 494 BC, Argos suffered a crushing defeat at the hands of its regional rival, Sparta, at the [[Battle of Sepeia]]. Following this defeat, [[Herodotus]] tells us the city suffered a form of ''stasis''. The political chaos is thought to have resulted in a democratic transition in the city.<ref name="E. Robinson, 2011">E. Robinson, ''Democracy Beyond Athens,'' Cambridge, 2011, 6–21.</ref> Argos did not participate in the Hellenic Alliance against the [[Second Persian invasion of Greece|Persian Invasion]] of 480 BC. This resulted in a period of diplomatic isolation, although there is evidence of an Argive alliance with [[Tegea]] prior to 462 BC.<ref name="jstor.org">2.	Kelly, Thomas. "Argive Foreign Policy in the Fifth Century B.C." Classical Philology 69, no. 2 (1974): 81–99. http://www.jstor.org/stable/268729.</ref>

In 462 BC, Argos joined a tripartite alliance with Athens and Thessaly. This alliance was somewhat dysfunctional, however, and the Argives are only thought to have provided marginal contributions to the alliance at the Battle of [[Oenoe (Attica)|Oenoe]] and [[Tanagra]].<ref name="jstor.org"/> For example, only 1,000 Argive hoplites are thought to have fought alongside the Athenians at the [[Battle of Tanagra (457 BC)|Battle of Tanagra]]. Following the allies' defeat at Tanagra in 457 BC, the alliance began to fall apart, resulting in its dissolution in 451 BC.<ref name="jstor.org"/>

Argos remained neutral or the ineffective ally of [[Athens]] during the [[Archidamian War]] between Sparta and Athens. Argos' neutrality resulted in a rise of its prestige among other Greek cities, and Argos used this political capital to organize and lead an alliance against Sparta and Athens in 421 BC.<ref name="jstor.org"/> This alliance included [[Mantinea]], [[Corinth]], [[Ancient Elis|Elis]], [[Thebes, Greece|Thebes]], Argos, and eventually Athens. This alliance fell apart, however, after the allied loss at the [[Battle of Mantinea (418 BC)|Battle of Mantinea]] in 418 BC.<ref name="jstor.org"/> This defeat, combined with the raiding of the Argolid by the Epidaurians, resulted in political instability and an eventual oligarchic coup in 417 BC.<ref name="jstor.org"/> Although democracy was restored within a year, Argos was left permanently weakened by this coup. This weakening led to a loss of power, which in turn led to the shift of commercial focus from the Ancient Agora to the eastern side of the city, delimited by Danaou and Agiou Konstadinou streets.

Argos played a minor role in the [[Corinthian War]]s against Sparta, and for a short period of time considered uniting with Corinth to form an expanded Argolid state. For a brief period of time, the two poleis combined, but Corinth quickly rebelled against Argive domination, and Argos returned to its traditional boundaries. After this, Argos remained an important but politically inconsistent polis in the Peloponnese. Although it was counted among the four major Greek cities by Isokrates in 346 BC, alongside Athens, Sparta, and Thebes, this was primarily due to its symbolic status as the legendary birthplace of the [[Argead dynasty]], the royal house of [[Macedonia (ancient kingdom)|Macedon]].<ref>{{Cite book |last=Krállī |first=Iōánna |title=The Hellenistic Peloponnese: interstate relations a narrative and analytic history, from the fourth century to 146 BC |date=2017 |publisher=Classical Press of Wales |isbn=978-1-910589-60-1 |location=Swansea (GB)}}</ref> In reality, Argos was militarily and politically weakened, plagued by internal strife and civic violence throughout the 4th century BC.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Krállī |first=Iōánna |title=The Hellenistic Peloponnese: interstate relations a narrative and analytic history, from the fourth century to 146 BC |date=2017 |publisher=Classical Press of Wales |isbn=978-1-910589-60-1 |location=Swansea (GB) |pages=49–50}}</ref>

In the 350s BC, Argos joined Messene and Megalopolis in resisting renewed Spartan aggression, particularly during Archidamos III’s campaigns against the anti-Spartan alliance. The Argives participated in defending Megalopolis but quickly withdrew after a defeat at Orneai and the arrival of Theban reinforcements, reflecting a broader pattern of military reluctance and limited effectiveness.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Krállī |first=Iōánna |title=The Hellenistic Peloponnese: interstate relations a narrative and analytic history, from the fourth century to 146 BC |date=2017 |publisher=Classical Press of Wales |isbn=978-1-910589-60-1 |location=Swansea (GB) |pages=50}}</ref> 

After the [[Peace of Philocrates]] in 346 BC, Argos increasingly engaged with [[Philip II of Macedon]]. While [[Demosthenes]] accused Argive leaders of collaborating with Macedon, this relationship appears to have been driven more by strategic concerns than ideological alignment. Macedonian sympathizers, including Myrtis, Teledamos, and Mnaseas, held power in the city by 330 BC.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Krállī |first=Iōánna |title=The Hellenistic Peloponnese: interstate relations a narrative and analytic history, from the fourth century to 146 BC |date=2017 |publisher=Classical Press of Wales |isbn=978-1-910589-60-1 |location=Swansea (GB) |pages=51}}</ref> However, Argos maintained a cautious neutrality during key conflicts, such as the Battle of Chaironeia in 338 BC, where it sent no troops to support either side.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Krállī |first=Iōánna |title=The Hellenistic Peloponnese: interstate relations a narrative and analytic history, from the fourth century to 146 BC |date=2017 |publisher=Classical Press of Wales |isbn=978-1-910589-60-1 |location=Swansea (GB) |pages=55–56}}</ref> 

Despite Argos’s neutral stance, Philip II rewarded the polis in 337 BC with Spartan territory as part of a broader reordering of Peloponnesian borders intended to weaken Sparta and reward its rivals. Argos received either the contested region of Thyreatis, the eastern seaboard of Mount Parnon, or both, though the exact territorial allocation remains debated.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Krállī |first=Iōánna |title=The Hellenistic Peloponnese: interstate relations a narrative and analytic history, from the fourth century to 146 BC |date=2017 |publisher=Classical Press of Wales |isbn=978-1-910589-60-1 |location=Swansea (GB) |pages=62–63}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last=Shipley |first=Graham |date=2000 |title=The Extent of Spartan Territory in the Late Classical and Hellenistic Periods |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/30103441 |journal=The Annual of the British School at Athens |volume=95 |pages=376–377 |doi=10.1017/S0068245400004731 |jstor=30103441 |issn=0068-2454}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last=Piérart |first=M. |date=2001 |title=Argos, Philippe II et la Cynourie (Thyréatide): les frontières du partage des Héraclides |journal=Recherches récentes sur le monde hellénistique. Acte du colloque en l'honneur de Pierre Ducrey |pages=30, 34–35}}</ref> This expansion made Argos one of the largest territorial states in the Peloponnese, controlling an area reaching up to 1,400 km².<ref>{{Cite book |last=Krállī |first=Iōánna |title=The Hellenistic Peloponnese: interstate relations a narrative and analytic history, from the fourth century to 146 BC |date=2017 |publisher=Classical Press of Wales |isbn=978-1-910589-60-1 |location=Swansea (GB) |pages=64}}</ref> 

The decision to grant Argos territory was likely influenced by its symbolic connection to the Argeads and its longstanding enmity with Sparta. However, Philip’s limited trust in Argos, due to its earlier alliance with Athens in 342 BC and its absence at Chaironeia, may have tempered the extent of his generosity.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Krállī |first=Iōánna |title=The Hellenistic Peloponnese: interstate relations a narrative and analytic history, from the fourth century to 146 BC |date=2017 |publisher=Classical Press of Wales |isbn=978-1-910589-60-1 |location=Swansea (GB) |pages=63–64}}</ref> Later Macedonian kings, such as [[Antigonus III Doson]], would reaffirm Argive control over disputed areas like [[Zarax]].<ref>{{Cite book |last=Krállī |first=Iōánna |title=The Hellenistic Peloponnese: interstate relations a narrative and analytic history, from the fourth century to 146 BC |date=2017 |publisher=Classical Press of Wales |isbn=978-1-910589-60-1 |location=Swansea (GB) |pages=63}}</ref>

===Democracy in Classical Argos===
Argos was a democracy for most of the classical period, with only a brief hiatus between 418 and 416.<ref name="E. Robinson, 2011"/> Democracy was first established after a disastrous defeat by the Spartans at the [[Battle of Sepeia]] in 494. So many Argives were killed in the battle that a revolution ensued, in which previously disenfranchised outsiders were included in the state for the first time.<ref>Hdt. 6.83; Arist. ''Pol.'' 13036-8</ref>

Argive democracy included an Assembly (called the ''aliaia''), a Council (the ''bola''), and another body called 'The Eighty,' whose precise responsibilities are obscure. Magistrates served six-month terms of office, with few exceptions, and were audited at the end of their terms. There is some evidence that [[ostracism]] was practiced.<ref>E. Robinson, ''Democracy Beyond Athens,'' Cambridge, 2011, 10–18.</ref>

===Hellenistic Argos===
Following the death of Alexander the Great in 323 BC, Argos joined the anti-Macedonian coalition during the Lamian War alongside Athens, Aitolia, Messenia, and others. This shift from its previous ambivalence under Philip II reflected the rise of anti-Macedonian sentiment and leadership within the city.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Krállī |first=Iōánna |title=The Hellenistic Peloponnese: interstate relations a narrative and analytic history, from the fourth century to 146 BC |date=2017 |publisher=Classical Press of Wales |isbn=978-1-910589-60-1 |location=Swansea (GB) |pages=85}}</ref> However, Argos’s commitment was limited; like other Peloponnesian poleis, it showed little resolve in sustained military engagement, and after early enthusiasm, returned to a pattern of defensive caution.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Krállī |first=Iōánna |title=The Hellenistic Peloponnese: interstate relations a narrative and analytic history, from the fourth century to 146 BC |date=2017 |publisher=Classical Press of Wales |isbn=978-1-910589-60-1 |location=Swansea (GB) |pages=87}}</ref>

In 318 BC, when [[Polyperchon]], the regent of Macedon, issued a ''diagramma'' ordering the restoration of regimes as they had been under Philip II and Alexander. He addressed a specific letter to Argos and the other cities, urging the exile or execution of pro-[[Antipatrid dynasty|Antipatrid]] leaders and the confiscation of their property. The fact that Argos was the only polis explicitly named underscores its symbolic significance as the legendary homeland of the Argead dynasty.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Krállī |first=Iōánna |title=The Hellenistic Peloponnese: interstate relations a narrative and analytic history, from the fourth century to 146 BC |date=2017 |publisher=Classical Press of Wales |isbn=978-1-910589-60-1 |location=Swansea (GB) |pages=90}}</ref> The Argive assembly initially aligned itself with Polyperchon and his son Alexandrer; however, in the summer of 316 BC, Cassander installed [[Apollonides (governor of Argos)|Apollonides]] as the [[strategos]] of Argos and garrisoned the city. While Apollonides campaigned in Arcadia the following year, the Argives invited Polyperchon’s son Alexander to retake the city. Apollonides's campaign was successful (he captured [[Stymphalus (Arcadia)|Stymphalus]] in a night attack), but was cut short.<ref>[[Diodorus Siculus]], ''[[Bibliotheca historica]]'' 19.63.1</ref> Upon hearing of the Argive's treachery, Apollonides returned to Argos enacted a brutal purge: approximately 500 supporters of Polyperchon were burned alive in the [[Prytaneion|prytaneion.]]<ref>{{Cite book |last=Krállī |first=Iōánna |title=The Hellenistic Peloponnese: interstate relations a narrative and analytic history, from the fourth century to 146 BC |date=2017 |publisher=Classical Press of Wales |isbn=978-1-910589-60-1 |location=Swansea (GB) |pages=93}}</ref> The conspirators not burned alive were either exiled or put to death.<ref>[[Diodorus Siculus]], ''[[Bibliotheca historica]]'' 19.63</ref> This event was only the second major purge in Argive history after the infamous skytalismos of 370 BC and may have eliminated as much as 5% of the hoplite citizen class.

This “decapitation” of the political leadership likely contributed to Argos’s declining engagement in inter-polis affairs and its later detachment from emerging federal formations such as the [[Achaean League]]. Cassander likely certainly installed a pro-Macedonian oligarchy afterward, which remained in control until 303 BC when Argos joined several northern and central Peloponnesian poleis which defected to Demetrius. The liberation of Argos was mythologized by the Argives themselves in inscriptions that attributed the city’s freedom to divine intervention, notably from Apollo, while omitting Demetrius entirely.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Krállī |first=Iōánna |title=The Hellenistic Peloponnese: interstate relations a narrative and analytic history, from the fourth century to 146 BC |date=2017 |publisher=Classical Press of Wales |isbn=978-1-910589-60-1 |location=Swansea (GB) |pages=99}}</ref> 

The political status of Argos after the Antigonid defeat at the [[Battle of Ipsus]] in 301 BC is unclear. While Plutarch refers to Demetrius recovering various Peloponnesian cities that had turned against him, he does not identify them by name, so Argos’s inclusion remains speculative. Other poleis in the Argolic Akte like as Troizen were likely brought back under Demetrius’s influence in 295 BC. Troizen’s later contribution of ships and troops to his Asian expedition in 286 BC suggests that at least some level of Antigonid control or cooperation persisted. After Demetrius’s death, the broader control of the Argolic cities becomes difficult to trace. It is uncertain whether Gonatas inherited authority over these areas. Troizen did continue to host a Macedonian garrison into the early 270s, which was expelled during a campaign by the Spartan regent [[Cleonymus of Sparta|Cleonymus]]. However, no comparable military activity is recorded for Argos during this time. 

By 272 BC, during the [[Epirus|Epirote]] king [[Pyrrhus of Epirus|Pyrrhus]]’s invasion of the Peloponnese, Argos appears to have been autonomous but politically fractured. While Pyrrhus was campaigning in the Peloponnese, the Argives invited him to intervene in a civic dispute. Since Antigonus Gonatas was approaching too, Pyrrhus hastened to enter the city with his army by stealth, only to find the place crowded with hostile troops. During the confused [[Battle of Argos]] in the narrow city streets, Pyrrhus was trapped. While he was fighting an Argive soldier, the soldier's old mother, who was watching from a rooftop, threw a tile which knocked him from his horse and broke part of his spine, paralyzing him. Whether he was alive or not after the blow is unknown, but his death was assured when a Macedonian soldier named Zopyrus, though frightened by the look on the face of the unconscious king, hesitantly and ineptly beheaded his motionless body. This story is later recounted by Plutarch in his Life of Pyrrhus.<ref>{{cite Plutarch|Pyrrhus|34}}</ref>

===Roman and Byzantine period===
[[File:Argos09.jpg|thumb|The [[Larissa (Argolis)|castle]] on Larissa Hill.]]
Under Roman rule, Argos was part of the province of [[Achaea (Roman province)|Achaea]]. While prosperous during the early principate, Argos along with much of Greece and the Balkans experienced disasters during the Crisis of the 3rd Century when external threats and internal revolts left the Empire in turmoil. During Gallienus' reign, marauding bands of Goths and [[Heruli]] sailed down from the Black Sea in 267 A.D. and devastated the Greek coastline and interior. Athens, Sparta, Corinth, Thebes and Argos were all sacked. Gallienus finally cut off their retreat north and destroyed them with great slaughter at Naissus in Moesia.<ref>Sinnegen & Boak, ''A History of Rome to A.D. 565 6th Ed.'', MacMillan Publishing, New York, ç1977 p.391</ref><ref>Durant, ''Caesar and Christ'', Simon & Schuster, Inc., New York, ç1944 p.630</ref><ref>Hartmann, ''The Third-Century Crisis'', Encyclopedia of Ancient Battles, 1st Ed., {{ISBN|9781405186452}}, John Wiley & Sons Ltd., ç2017 p.12-13</ref><ref>Southern, ''The Roman Empire from Severus to Constantine'', Routledge, London & New York, ç2001, p.105-106</ref>

With the death of the last emperor over a unified Empire, [[Theodosius I]], the [[Visigoths]] under their leader [[Alaric I]] descended into Greece in 396–397 A.D., sacking and pillaging as they went. Neither the eastern or western Roman warlords, [[Rufinus (consul)]] or [[Stilicho]], made an effective stand against them due to the political situation between them. Athens and Corinth were both sacked. While the exact level of destruction for Argos is disputed due to the conflicting nature of the ancient sources, the level of damage to the city and people was considerable. Stilicho finally landed in western Greece and forced the Visigoths north of Epirus.<ref>Jacobs, ''Production and Prosperity in the Theodosian Period'', Peters, Walpole, ç2014, p.69-71</ref> Sites said to have been destroyed in Argos include the Hypostyle hall, parts of the agora, the odeion, and the Aphrodision.<ref>Jacobs, ''Production and Prosperity in the Theodosian Period'', Peters, Walpole, ç2014, p.88</ref> In the late 7th century, it became part of the [[Hellas (theme)|Theme of Hellas]], and later of the [[Peloponnese (theme)|Theme of the Peloponnese]].

===Crusader and Ottoman rule===
In the aftermath of the [[Fourth Crusade]], the Crusaders captured the castle built on Larisa Hill, the site of the ancient acropolis, and the area became part of the [[lordship of Argos and Nauplia]]. In 1388, it was sold to the [[Republic of Venice]], but was taken by the [[Despot of the Morea]] [[Theodore I Palaiologos]] before the Venetians could take control of the city; he sold it anyway to them in 1394. The Crusaders established a Latin bishopric. Venetian rule lasted until 1463, when the Ottomans captured the city.

In 1397, the Ottomans plundered Argos, carrying off part of the population,<ref name="Sutton">Contingent countryside: settlement, economy, and land use in the southern Argolid since 1700  Authors Susan Buck Sutton, Keith W. Adams, Argolid Exploration Project  Editors Susan Buck Sutton, Keith W. Adams  Contributor Keith W. Adams  Edition	illustrated  Publisher	Stanford University Press, 2000  {{ISBN|0-8047-3315-5}}, {{ISBN|978-0-8047-3315-1}} page 28</ref> to sell as slaves.<ref name="link">Eventful Archaeologies: New Approaches to Social Transformation in the Archaeological Record  The Institute for European and Mediterranean Archaeology Distinguished Monograph Series  Author Douglas J. Bolender  Editor Douglas J. Bolender  Publisher SUNY Press, 2010 {{ISBN|1-4384-3423-5}}, {{ISBN|978-1-4384-3423-0}} page 129 [https://books.google.com/books?id=TSLeX0GRNqwC&dq=%22In+1397+Argos+was+captured+by+Turkish+raiders%2C+and+its+population+carried+off+to+slavery.+The+Venetians+repopulated+the+town+and+region+with+Albanian+colonists%22&pg=PA129 link]</ref> The Venetians repopulated the town and region with Albanian settlers,<ref name="link"/> granting them long-term agrarian tax exemptions.<ref name="Sutton"/> Together with the Greeks of Argos, they supplied [[stratioti]] troops to the armies of Venice.<ref name="Sutton"/> Throughout the [[Ottoman–Venetian wars]], many Albanians died or were captured in service to the Venetians; at [[Nafpaktos]], [[Nafplio]], Argos, [[Methoni, Messenia|Methoni]], [[Koroni]] and [[Pylos]]. Furthermore, 8,000 Albanian [[stratioti]], most of them along with their families, left the Peloponnese to continue their military service under the [[Republic of Venice]] or the [[Kingdom of Naples]]. At the end of the Ottoman–Venetian wars, a large number of Albanians had fled from the Peloponnese to Sicily.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Biris |first=Kostas |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=gOkJHQAACAAJ |title=Αρβανίτες: οι Δωριείς του Νεώτερου Ελληνισμού |date=1998 |publisher=Melissa |isbn=978-960-204-031-7 |language=el |page=340}}</ref> Some historians consider the French military term "argoulet" to derive from the Greek "argetes", or inhabitant of Argos, as a large number of French stratioti came from the plain of Argos.<ref>{{cite web|last=Pappas|first=Nicholas C. J.|title=Stradioti: Balkan Mercenaries in Fifteenth and Sixteenth Century Italy|url=http://www.shsu.edu/~his_ncp/Stradioti.html|publisher=Sam Houston State University|access-date=7 November 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924101628/http://www.shsu.edu/~his_ncp/Stradioti.html|archive-date=24 September 2015|url-status=dead}}</ref>

[[File:Neo Ireo Kimisis Theotokou.JPG|thumb|The church of the Kimisis (Dormition) of the Virgin in Neo Ireo]]
During Ottoman rule, Argos was divided in four [[mahala]]s, or quarters; the Greek ([[Rûm]]) mahala, Liepur mahala, Bekir Efenti mahala and Karamoutza or Besikler mahala, respectively corresponding to what is now the northeastern, the northwestern, the southwestern and southeastern parts of the city. The Greek mahala was also called the "quarter of the unfaithful of Archos town" in Turkish documents, whereas Liepur mahala (the quarter of the rabbits) was composed mostly of [[Albania]]n emigrants and well-reputed families. Karamoutza mahala was home to the most prominent Turks and boasted a mosque (modern-day church of Agios Konstadinos), a Turkish cemetery, Ali Nakin Bei's [[seraglio|serail]], [[Turkish bath]]s and a Turkish school. It is also at this period when the open market of the city is first organised on the site north to Kapodistrias' barracks, at the same spot where it is held in modern times. A mosque would have existed there, too, according to the city planning most Ottoman cities followed.

Argos grew exponentially during this time, with its sprawl being unregulated and without planning. As French explorer [[François Pouqueville|Pouqueville]] noted, "its houses are not aligned, without order, scattered all over the place, divided by home gardens and uncultivated areas". Liepur mahala appears to have been the most organised, having the best layout, while Bekir mahala and Karamoutza mahala were the most labyrinthine. However, all quarters shared the same type of streets; firstly, they all had main streets which were wide, busy and public roads meant to allow for communication between neighbourhoods (typical examples are, to a great extent, modern-day Korinthou, Nafpliou and Tripoleos streets). Secondary streets were also common in all four quarters since they lead to the interior of each mahala, having a semi-public character, whereas the third type of streets referred to dead-end private alleys used specifically by families to access their homes. Remnants of this city layout can be witnessed even today, as Argos still preserves several elements of this Ottoman type style, particularly with its long and complicated streets, its narrow alleys and its densely constructed houses.

[[File:Veduta d'Argos - Coronelli Vincenzo - 1688.jpg|thumb|left|Illustration of Argos by [[Vincenzo Coronelli]], 1688]]

===Independence and modern history===
With the exception of a period of [[Kingdom of the Morea|Venetian domination]] in 1687–1715, Argos remained in Ottoman hands until the beginning of the [[Greek War of Independence]] in 1821, when wealthy Ottoman families moved to nearby [[Nafplio]] due to its stronger walling.

At that time, as part of the general uprising, many local governing bodies were formed in different parts of the country, and the "Consulate of Argos" was proclaimed on 28 March 1821, under the [[Peloponnesian Senate]]. It had a single head of state, Stamatellos Antonopoulos, styled "[[Consul]]", between 28 March and 26 May 1821.

Later, Argos accepted the authority of the unified Provisional Government of the [[First National Assembly at Epidaurus]], and eventually became part of the [[Kingdom of Greece (Glücksburg)|Kingdom of Greece]]. With the coming of governor [[Ioannis Kapodistrias]], the city underwent efforts of modernisation. Being an agricultural village, the need for urban planning was vital. For this reason, in 1828, Kapodistrias himself appointed mechanic Stamatis Voulgaris as the creator of a city plan which would offer Argos big streets, squares and public spaces. However, both Voulgaris and, later, French architect de Borroczun's plans were not well received by the locals, with the result that the former had to be revised by Zavos. Ultimately, none of the plans were fully implemented. Still, the structural characteristics of de Borroczun's plan can be found in the city today, despite obvious proof of pre-revolutionary layout, such as the unorganised [[urban sprawl]] testified in the area from Inachou street to the point where the railway tracks can be found today.

After talks concerning the intentions of the Greek government to move the Greek capital from [[Nafplio]] to [[Athens]], discussions regarding the possibility of Argos also being a candidate as the potential new capital became more frequent, with supporters of the idea claiming that, unlike Athens, Argos was naturally protected by its position and benefited from a nearby port (Nafplio). Moreover, it was maintained that construction of public buildings would be difficult in Athens, given that most of the land was owned by the Greek church, meaning that a great deal of [[expropriation]] would have to take place. On the contrary, Argos did not face a similar problem, having large available areas for this purpose. In the end, the proposition of the Greek capital being moved to Argos was rejected by the father of [[Otto of Greece|king Otto]], [[Ludwig I of Bavaria|Ludwig]], who insisted in making Athens the capital, something which eventually happened in 1834.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://argolikivivliothiki.gr/2009/02/20/%cf%84%ce%bf-%ce%ac%cf%81%ce%b3%ce%bf%cf%82-%cf%80%cf%81%ce%bf%cf%84%ce%b5%ce%af%ce%bd%ce%b5%cf%84%ce%b1%ce%b9-%cf%89%cf%82-%cf%80%cf%81%cf%89%cf%84%ce%b5%cf%8d%ce%bf%cf%85%cf%83%ce%b1-%cf%84%ce%b7/|title=Το Άργος προτείνεται ως πρωτεύουσα της Ελλάδας (1833 -1834)|date=20 February 2009}}</ref>

During the German occupation, Argos airfield was frequently attacked by Allied forces. One of the raids was so large that it resulted in the bombing of the city on 14 October 1943, with the casualties of about 100 dead Argives and several casualties, and 75 of the Germans. The bombing started from the airfield heading southeast, hitting the monastery of Katakrykmeni and several areas of the city, up to the railway station.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://argolikivivliothiki.gr/2010/10/26/%CE%AC%CF%81%CE%B3%CE%BF%CF%82-%CE%BF-%CE%B2%CE%BF%CE%BC%CE%B2%CE%B1%CF%81%CE%B4%CE%B9%CF%83%CE%BC%CF%8C%CF%82-%CF%84%CE%B7%CF%82-14%CE%B7%CF%82-%CE%BF%CE%BA%CF%84%CF%89%CE%B2%CF%81%CE%AF%CE%BF/|title=Άργος – Ο Βομβαρδισμός της 14ης Οκτωβρίου 1943 από τους συμμάχους|website=ARGOLIKOS ARCHIVAL LIBRARY OF HISTORY AND CULTURE|access-date=27 September 2021}}</ref>