Argos (Hyboria)

Argos
Name	Argos
Status
Status	Destroyed
Preceded By	Acheron
Preceded By	Acheron
Succeeded By	—
Succeeded By	—
Characteristics
Capital	Messantia
Demonym	Argosseans, Argosians
Currency	Thralloons
Location Details
Reality	Earth-616
Galaxy	Milky Way
Star System	Sol
Planet	Earth
Continent	Hyboria
Country	Formerly Acheron
Region	Hyborian Lands ; Hyborian Kingoms
Creators and Appearances
Creators	Robert E. Howard
First	Conan the Barbarian #8 (May, 1971) (Mentioned) Conan the Barbarian #25 (January, 1973) (Vision) Conan the Barbarian #56 (August, 1975)
First	Conan the Barbarian #8 (May, 1971) (Mentioned) Conan the Barbarian #25 (January, 1973) (Vision) Conan the Barbarian #56 (August, 1975)

Argos is one of the Hyborian Kingdoms, located on the coastal areas of western Hyboria. To the north was Zingara, to the south lay Stygia. The three of them were the leading naval powers of the Hyborian Age and heavily involved in international trade. A network of rivers connected Argos to Aquilonia, Nemedia, and Ophir. Making it a major part of the Road of Kings trade route.

The coastal cities of Argos were cosmopolitan trade capitals, where ships constantly transport ivory, copper ore, pearls, and slaves from the Black Kingdoms. Chief among them was the capital, Messantia. Its place at the center of many trade networks had given it the reputation of being the destination of all sea-ways. Besides regular trade, these coastal cities served as natural habitats for smugglers and pirates seeking fences. The country maintained illicit connections to the pirates of the Barachan Isles. That its traditional rival, Zingara, was the chief target of said pirates might had been explained by their informal alliance. While the coastal areas prospered, the inland provinces were relatively underdeveloped backwoods areas.

History

Foundation

Argos was one of the nations to rose on the ashes of Acheron, and may had been the third Hyborian kingdom to be established. The Argossean people were a mixture of Zingaran and Shemitic races. Argos was probably founded by a tribe previously subject to Koth.

Age of Conan

Queen Wrenna's rule

After her husband Tahrend's passing, Queen Wrenna assumed control of the country. She offered Conan to rule alongside her, as her consort or not, but the barbarian declined.

Unnamed king's rule

An unnamed king hired Conan as his bodyguard, but was betrayed and murdered by Thamos. Conan maimed Thamos and escaped.

King Thamos' rule

The new tyrant king of Argos, King Thamos, immediately went into pursuit of Conan, tracking him on the open sea. Conan soon took the lead of the Western Corsair of Kezan Val, and rebranded them the Crimson Brotherhood. Kezan Val tried to ally with Thamos who had him executed. After a brief battle dominated by the Crimson Brotherhood, the Water Nymph Miri, ally of Conan, caused Thamos' demise, avenging the former king.

King Milo's rule

Conan, Delmurio, and Tetra came to an Argossean trading post near the Aquilonian border looking for the Black Ship. While they were waiting to set sail they confronted and killed a preacher of Mitra who was entrancing his followers. After they finally reached an island west of Argos, the group learned that the demon Nostume apparently orchestrated the treasure map hunt only to get Conan and his friends to the Well of Souls and sacrifice them. When Nostume was eventually killed by the Cimmerian on an island west of Argos, his power was absorbed by Tetra.

King Aristo's rule

After Milo's death, his second son Aristo made peace with king Conan of Aquilonia when this one was on his way to march on Stygia and was quickly proclaimed king of Argos.

The King of Argos signed a treaty of alliance with the king of Koth.

King Xantaus' rule

Xantaus succeeded his father as king of Argos.

Xantaus entered an alliance with King Tarascus II's Nemedia and Queen Leora's Ophir against King Conan I's Aquilonia, conspiring with the Aquilonian false priest of Mitra, Crassus. When the invasion was foiled and the alliance fell apart, Leora reforged her alliance with Xantaus.

After he and Queen Leora of Ophir laid waste to Aquilonia, King Conan invaded Argos by sea, the Zingaran Fleet carrying the alliance of Aquilonians, Aesir, Zingarans, Black Kingdoms warriors, and Cimmerians. Xantaus and Leora were visited by the mage Caliastros, de facto ruler of Corinthia who was allied to Ophir but refused to help Argos, and by Brax-Al-Thar, Warlord of Koth, who refused as well. While Conan's army seized Messantia and crushed the Argossean and Ophirian forces, Xantaus and Leora fled, and the Argossean Fleet was obliterated by the Zingarans. While Xantaus gave up on fleeing and decided to die like a soldier, along his lover Leora, the Queen of Ophir left the scene. After a cart chase, Conan slew Xantaus.

King Ariostro's rule

Under King Ariostro, Messantia was allegedly a city stuffed of guardsmen, and safe.

Much like Aquilonia, Argos was nevertheless eventually the target of the Red Shadows who snatched from home people of all ranks. Ariostro's seers read open in the stars and his mage consulted ancient books of magical lore, and found out the Red Shadow were from an unknown realm beyond the Western Ocean, Ariostro sent ships who all failed to return with any clue (or at least for some, seemingly to return at all).

After Conan abdicated of the throne of Aquilonia to travel westward across the Western Ocean, he and Sigurd of Vanaheim met in an Argossean inn and discussed returning together to be adventurers and pirates, incognito King Ariostro eavesdropped on them, and offered gems for them to purchase a ship, the Red Lion, thus sending yet another ship to explore. It is unknown if Ariostro was ignorant of Conan's identity, or wise enough to not mention it.

End

After Conan's time, Argos was annexed by the Aquilonian Empire, was later looted and burned by the Picts. The Shemite countries were treated by Aquilonia as subjected countries, and finally vanished beneath the sea with the advance of the glaciers.

Residents

Former Residents

• Feducio (deceased)
• Merdine (deceased)
• Redondo (deceased)

Notes

• Robert E. Howard named the country after the ancient city of Argos in Greece.

See Also

• 50 appearance(s) of Argos (Hyboria)
• 1 appearance(s) in handbook(s) of Argos (Hyboria)
• 7 minor appearance(s) of Argos (Hyboria)
• 94 mention(s) of Argos (Hyboria)
• 1 mention(s) in handbook(s) of Argos (Hyboria)
• 2 image(s) of Argos (Hyboria)
• 6 article(s) related to Argos (Hyboria)
• 9 citizen(s) of Argos (Hyboria)