Memory of the Past in Classical Argos: The Archaic Border Wars with Sparta and Argos’ 5th-c. Foreign Policy

Argos and Sparta were, for centuries, engaged in border wars against each other, fought variously in Thyreatis or Argolis. The relevance and impact of these battles on the politics, society and religion of the Argives have been acknowledged and extensively studied, albeit selectively with regard to particular battles, and especially with reference to the Archaic Age when most of the conflicts occurred. This paper aims to shed light on the significance of these Archaic border wars in the Classical Age, especially the fifth century. By analysing the sources in light of new knowledge about the way oral and semi-oral traditions are transmitted and manipulated, I wish to show how details of the stories are strongly influenced by the foreign policy lines pursued by Argos during the Classical Age. This is particularly the case concerning the traditions about the Battle of Hysiai, the Battle of the Champions, and the Battle of Sepeia. This paper anticipates the outcome of research and ideas from an in-progress monograph on the wars between Argos and Sparta.