an ancient name of Peloponnesus; from Argos, one of the kings, (Homer, Strabo).

capital, and an inland town, of Argolis or Argelia. It had different surnames; as Achaeum, from the country, or an ancient people, (Homer); Hippium, from its breed of horses; and Inachium, from the river Inachus, which runs by, or from Inachus the founder of the kingdom, whose name was also given to the river. The Argives related, that this was one of the river gods who adjudged the country to Juno, when she contended for it with Neptune, which deity in return made their water to vanish; the reason why the Inachus flowed only after rain, and was dry in summer. The source was a spring, not copious, on a mountain in Arcadia, and the river served there as a boundary between the Argives and Mantineans.

Ancient Argos stood chiefly on a flat. The springs were near the surface; and it abounded in wells, which were said to have been invented by the daughters of Danaus. This early personage lived in the acropolis or citadel, which was named Larissa, and accounted moderately strong. On the ascent was a temple of Apollo on the ridge, which in the second century continued the seat of an oracle. The woman who prophesied was debarred from commerce with the male sex. A lamb was sacrificed in the night monthly; when, on tasting of the blood, she became possessed with the divinity. Farther on was a stadium, where the Argives celebrated games in honour of Nemean Jupiter, and Juno. On the top was a temple of Jupiter, without a roof, the statue off the pedestal. In the temple of Minerva there, among other curious articles, was a wooden Jupiter, with an eye more than common, having one in the forehead. This statue, it was said, was once placed in a court of the palace of Priam, who fled as a suppliant to the altar before it, when Troy was sacked. In this city was also the brazen tower in which Danaë, being confined there by her father, was deflowered by Jupiter.

Argos retains its original name and situation, standing ing near the mountains which are the boundary of the plain, with Napoli and the sea in view before it. The shining houses are whitened with lime or plaster. Churches, mud-built cottages and walls, with gardens and open areas, are interperfed, and the town is of considerable extent. Above the other buildings towers a very handsome mosque shaded with solemn cypresses; and behind is a lofty hill, brown and naked, of a conical form, the summit crowned with a neglected castle. The devastations of time and war have efaced the old city. We look in vain (says Mr Chandler) for vestiges of its numerous edifices, the theatre, the gymnasium, the temples, and monuments, which it once boasted, contending even with Athens in antiquity and in favours conferred by the gods.

**Argos Amphilocheum**, (Thucydides), a city of Arcania, (Scylax, Pliny); its territory Amphilocheia: situated on the east side of the Sinus Ambracius, (Thucydides); distant an hundred and eighty stadia to the south-east of Ambracia, (Polybius). Also called Argia Amphilocheia, (Mela); Amphilioci and Amphilochei the people, (Stephanus). The name is from Amphilocheus, son of Amphiarus; and from Argos, the name of his country, in Peloponnesus, (Thucydides).

**Argos Hippium.** See Argos in Peloponnesus, supra.

**Argos Hippium,** the ancient name of Arpi; but Lampe is still more ancient; afterwards called Argyrrippa, and Argyppa; built by, and the residence of, Diomedes, on the Ceralus, (Virgil); afterwards a large and populous city, (Livy): A town of Apulia; now in ruins, and the place called Arpi.

**Argos Pelasgicum,** (Homer); an appellation denoting the Thesaly; so called from the Pelasgi.

**Argos Portus,** a port of Tuscany, (Strabo): now Porto Ferajo, in the north of the island Elba. E. Long. 11. 30. N. Lat. 42. 35.

**Arguim,** an island on the coast of Africa, about fifteen miles distant from Cape Blanco, situated in W. Long. 16. 30. N. Lat. 20. 20. It is scarce two miles in length; notwithstanding, which, it was a bone of contention for 87 years between the Portuguese, Dutch, English, and French; and, after a variety of fortune, has at last been totally abandoned.

This island was first discovered by the Portuguese in 1444, when a fleet bound to the coast touched at Arguim, and from some little trade carried on with the natives, it was imagined that a settlement there might be of some advantage to Portugal. In consequence of this opinion, a fort was erected on the island, and the Portuguese enjoyed the peaceable possession of it till 1638. At this time, the Dutch having received a minute account of the condition of the island, resolved to attack it: and accordingly landed without molestation from the garrison, which was too weak to oppose them. The Portuguese, however, defended themselves with great intrepidity, and at last surrendered upon honourable terms. The Dutch immediately set about repairing the fortifications, and securing it in the best manner they could: however, in 1653, the fort was reduced almost to a heap of rubbish by an English squadron; but as the fortifications were totally destroyed, and only a small garrison left there, it was easily retaken by the Dutch the next year. They now redoubled their diligence in strengthening the island, entering into alliance with Moorish chiefs, procuring a number of families to settle under protection of the fort, and giving extravagant prices for gums, in order to monopolize the gum trade. By this means the gum trade of the French Senegal Company was almost entirely destroyed; upon which they fitted out a squadron, dispossessed the Dutch, and had the island finally ceded to them by the treaty of Nimeguen.

Though the Dutch now seemed to be finally expelled, they resolved not to part so easily with such a valuable settlement. Under pretence of being subjects of the elector of Brandenburg, therefore, they erected one of the forts which had been demolished, and there maintained themselves in spite of the utmost endeavours of the French Company to dispossess them. Numbers were the memorials, protests, rescripts, &c., which were published on this occasion, till a new war in 1701 put an end to them. In 1717, however, the French Company having found all their remonstrances ineffectual, fitted out a new squadron; but this armament did not arrive at Arguim before Feb. 26, 1721. The Dutch defended themselves with such intrepidity and conduct as had almost baffled the utmost efforts of the French; but the latter having found means to draw off a Moorish chief from his allegiance, the Dutch were obliged to evacuate Arguim, and retire to Portendic, where they fortified themselves, determining to watch a favourable opportunity for recovering their settlement at Arguim. This was not long wanting, by means of the weakness of the garrison and the imprudence of Duval the French director, who having quarrelled with the Moors, was surprized, defeated, and killed by them; in consequence of which, the settlement fell again into the hands of the Dutch on the 11th of January 1722. In 1723, the Dutch were attacked by another French squadron under the command of the Sieur Rigaudiere. This gentleman boasted that the fort could not hold out one day; but though he prevailed so far as to get possession of the cisterns which contained the water of the besieged, he was at last shamefully repulsed, and forced to raise the siege with precipitation. The Dutch, however, did not long enjoy the possession which they had so bravely defended; for, in 1725, their fort was entirely demolished by the French under Du Caffé, and has never since been rebuilt by any European nation.

**ARGUMENT,** in Rhetoric and Logic, an inference drawn from premises, the truth of which is indisputable, or at least highly probable. See LOGIC.

**Argument,** in matters of literature, denotes also the abridgement or heads of a book, history, comedy, chapter, &c. See SYLLABUS.

**ARGUMENTATION,** the act of inventing, or framing arguments, of making inductions, and drawing conclusions. See INDUCTION, &c.

Argumentation, according to Cicero, is the delivering or unfolding of an argument.—The matter of argumentations is propositions; the form, their due disposition, with regard to one another, so as a conclusion may be drawn from them. See EXTHYMEME, PROPOSITION, RATIOCINATION, SORTES, SYLLOGISM, &c.

**ARGUS,** in fabulous history, was the son of Ariftor, and had 100 eyes, 50 of which were always open. Juno made choice of him to guard Io, whom Jupiter had Argus shell had transformed into a white heifer; but Jupiter, pitying Io for being so closely confined, sent Mercury, who, with his flute, charmed Argos to sleep, sealed up his eyes with his caduceus, and then cut off his head; when Juno, to reward his fidelity, turned him into a peacock, and placed his eyes in his tail.

ARGUS/Shell, a species of porcelain shell, beautifully variegated with spots, resembling in some measure those in a peacock's tail.