Introduction to Argos

48km (30 miles) S of Corinth

There should be lots of impressive remains to visit here, but because modern Argos (pop. 20,000) is built on top of the ancient city, there's little to see in town except the 4th-century theater, a hodgepodge of important, but not engaging, remains across from the theater, and the museum. Repeated earthquakes during the last century left modern Argos with an undistinguished agglomeration of flat-roofed concrete buildings, with only the occasional neoclassical house. That said, the central plateia is lively and the street market on Wednesday and Saturday mornings is one of the largest in the Peloponnese. Still, it takes a vigorous imagination to visualize Argos as it was in its heyday in the 7th century B.C. Then, under the tyrant Pheidon, who is often credited with inventing coinage in Greece, Argos was the most powerful city in the entire Peloponnese. To this day, the fortifications on Argos's twin citadels, the Aspis and the Larissa -- which include walls from the ancient, medieval, and modern eras -- are very impressive.

If your time in the Peloponnese is limited, you might consider saving Argos for a return trip. If you can spend a few hours here, have a look at the theater, stop by the museum, and try to drive up to the Larissa and Aspis citadels to take in the Venetian fortifications and the view over the plain.