Sanctuary of Athena Oxyderces at Argos
Athena and Pegasus
Argos Anphilochikon Silver Stater C.340-300
BCE. Obverse: helmeted head of Athena facing right, with ships mast in right
field. Reverse: Pegasus flying right, A below. 8.7 grams, 22 mm in
diameter.
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Hera anda Athena
Dichalkon. Head of Hera facing right, wearing an
inscribed stephane. Athena Promachos facing left. Bronze, 3.72 g, ⌀ 18 mm. BCD
Peloponnesos# 1100-1104, BMC Greek# 106-108, SNG Copenhagen# 57-58, Traité
III# 632, Weber# 4178-4179, HGC 5# 697, N# 144580.
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Sanctuary of Athena Oxyderces
In his Description of Greece, Pausanias notes that the Sanctuary of Athena Oxyderces ("Sharp-sighted") in Argos was located adjacent to the temple of Apollo Deiradiotes. According to local legend, this sanctuary was established by the mythical hero Diomedes, who dedicated it to the goddess in gratitude after she miraculously cleared the thick mist obscuring his sight during his battles at Troy, thereby granting him divine vision.
Pausanias reports:
Adjoining the temple of Apollo Deiradiotes is a sanctuary of Athena Oxyderces (Sharp-sighted), dedicated by Diomedes, because once when he was fighting at Troy the goddess removed the mist from his eyes. (Paus. 2.24.2)
Temple of Athena Polias from SW
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Temple of Athena Polias from E
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Temple of Athena Polias
Further up, on the summit of the Argive acropolis (Larisa), Pausanias describes a notable Temple of Athena situated alongside a roofless temple dedicated to Zeus Larisaean. Within Athena’s temple on the height, visitors could observe several remarkable votive offerings, most famously a three-eyed wooden image (xoanon) of Zeus Patroos. Tradition held that this unique, ancient image originally belonged to King Priam of Troy and was kept in the courtyard of his palace before being brought to Greece after the fall of Ilium.
Pausanias reports:
On the top of Larisa is a temple of Zeus, surnamed Larisaean, which has no roof; the wooden image I found no longer standing upon its pedestal. There is also a temple of Athena worth seeing. Here are placed votive offerings, including a wooden image of Zeus, which has two eyes in the natural place and a third on its forehead. (Paus. 2.24.3)
Map of Argos
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Map of the Citadel of Argos
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The Citadel
The Citadel was the administrative, military and cult centre of Argos for many centuries. The Mycenaean Wall is built of large limestone blocks and follows a circular course. Its remains are located in the east and partially in the north part of the citadel. There is a large monolithic threshold at the south side, as well as parts of jambs. All these parts originally belonged to the Mycenaean gate. The lintel of that gate, made of conglomerate stone, is incorporated in the outer façade of the south wall of the citadel. During the Archaic period, the citadel was furnished with sanctuaries. A temple in the southwest was dedicated to Zeus of Larissa. To the north is visible a part of the base of the temple dedicated to Athena Polias.
Location
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