hephaestus 137
Argus never slept and could see in all directions with his many eyes, rang-
ing from four to a hundred depending on the source. On vases painted in
the sixth to fourth century BC, the body of Argus Panoptes is shown en-
tirely covered with eyes, as described by the mythographer Apollodorus.
A fine wine jug (lekythos) of 470 BC by the Pan Painter was recently
discovered in ancient Aphytis, northern Greece (fig. 7.6). The body of
the humanoid Argus is covered in eyes and has a janiform head looking
in opposite directions. 9
Fig. 7.6. Argus with many eyes and janiform head. Attic red- figure lekythos from Aphytis, by
the Pan Painter, about 470 BC. © Hellenic Ministry of Culture and Sports, courtesy of Ephorate
of Antiquities of Chalcidice and Mount Athos.