Argos: A Critical History of a Classical Polis Between Aspiration and Reality (550–322 B.C.)

This project examines the political history of classical Argos (ca. 550–322 B.C.). During the transition from the Archaic to the Classical period, the city lost its former position of power in the Peloponnese to Sparta, which was largely hostile toward it. However, there was never a permanent loss of hegemonic influence in Argeia or even political dependence on its powerful neighbor during the Classical period. On the contrary: despite major setbacks, Argos repeatedly attempted, up until the last quarter of the 4th century, to regain or expand its political scope of action. With structural peculiarities such as a democracy of its own design, distinct mythopoetic constructions of the past, and enigmatic territorial expansions, Argos offers an instructive approach to the study of so-called Third Greece.

The aim of the project is to shed light on known sequences of events, processes, and structural relationships from a decidedly Argive perspective. To deepen our understanding of this remarkable polis in classical times, different perspectives must be systematically brought together on two central levels:

First, at the level of sources: Until now, archaeological, epigraphic, and literary evidence has all too often been analyzed in isolation. Since—with the exception of a few fragments by Akusilaos—all writings by Argive authors of the Classical period have been lost, and literary depictions of Argos are almost exclusively recorded from an external perspective, the material and epigraphic sources take on particular significance as an internal corrective. An integrated, comprehensive examination of the entire body of source material is therefore essential. Second, at the level of historical methodology: questions of social, cultural, institutional, and event history each make significant contributions to our understanding of classical Argos on their own, but only realize their full potential for insight when considered in conjunction with one another. Against this backdrop, the central research question of the project emerges: By what political means did Argos pursue its goal of establishing or regaining a hegemonic position in the Peloponnese between approximately 550 and 322 BCE?

To date, no monographic study has systematically addressed the eventful history of the Argive state between approximately 550 and 322 BCE, a period marked by profound transformations. The project thus addresses a research gap that has been insufficiently addressed thus far.