It is a hill of 75-80 m. opposite the temple of Panagia Katakekrymeni, broad and round, spreading as far as the riverbed of the river Charadros. This hill formed an Acropolis, and it had towers, remainders of which are recognized to the north – east.
One can go up this hill form the east part of the city, form Arvanitia, taking a stone flight of stairs constituted of 13 steps.
According to some aspect it was called Foronikos lofos (hill), named after Phoroneas. It is also called Aspis, because it has the shape of a shield (Aspis=shield). A shield was impacted on this hill, as a symbol of the city. This caused the creation of the adage: “proud oneself as like having removed the shield in Argos”. The Argeians, who had protected their juvenescence clear and unspotted during childhood, after lifting a golden shield, were ahead of the corteges keeping them as an award.
Which of the two Acropolises was the oldest, Larissa or Aspis was the oldest is not yet ascertained. Though, it seems that this was Aspis because it was considered impossible for the kings to live on the high and precipitous Larissa, moreover Aspis is closer to the city, it is easier to climb, with the stone stairs, like the Acropolis of Tiryntha.
Besides the remainders of the walls of the fortification, one could see at the north east bluff of the hill an open underground route, that has a length of 65 feet and a width of one foot and in the north it is surrounded by a small round room. It might be either a cistern reduced to Danaos or the basement referred to by Pausanias as a building where there was Danae’s chamber, destroyed by the oppressor Perilaos.
ASPIDA Hill
