ID: 901000640 Page link: http://vocab.getty.edu/page/ia/901000640	Record Type: Event/Narrative

	Mercury and Argus (Greco-Roman narrative)

Note: Narrative concerning the Roman god Mercury (Greek Hermes), Argus (Argos), and Io. As related in Ovid's Metamorphoses: Jupiter (Greek Zeus) hides his affair with Io from his wife, Hera, by transforming his lover and himself into a heifer and bull. Hera discovers the truth and places heifer Io under the guard of Argus, her shepherd who has 100 eyes. Jupiter commands his son Mercury (Hermes) to rescue Io by lulling Argus to sleep and then decapitating him. The 100 eyes of Argus became part of the peacock tail.

Names:

	Mercury and Argus (Greco-Roman narrative) (preferred,English-P,D,P)
	Hermes and Argos (Greco-Roman narrative) (English,U,N)
	Argus et Mercurio (Greco-Roman narrative) (Latin,U,P)

Hierarchical Position:

		Legend, Religion, Mythology (P)
		....<Greek iconography> (P)
		........<Greek narratives> (P)
		............Mercury and Argus (Greco-Roman narrative) (I)

Related Iconography:

	actor is .... Mercury
	..........(Legend, Religion, Mythology, Roman iconography, Roman characters, Mercury (Roman deity)) [901001345]

	actor is .... Hermes
	..........(Legend, Religion, Mythology, Greek iconography, Greek characters, Hermes (Greek deity)) [901000721]

	actor is .... Argos
	..........(Legend, Religion, Mythology, Greek iconography, Greek characters, Argos (Greek character)) [901000629]

	actor is .... Hera
	..........(Legend, Religion, Mythology, Greek iconography, Greek characters, Hera (Greek deity)) [901001934]

	actor is .... Io
	..........(Legend, Religion, Mythology, Greek iconography, Greek characters, Io (Greek character)) [901001965]

Other Relationships:

	role/characteristic is .... narrative (literary works)
	.....(genres for literature, genres in literature and performing arts, concepts in the arts and humanities, Associated Concepts (hierarchy name)) (AAT)

	culture/religion is .... Greco-Roman
	.....(Ancient Italian, Mediterranean (Early Western World), Early Western World, styles, periods, and cultures by region, Styles and Periods (hierarchy name)) (AAT)

	topic is .... beheading
	.....(executions (personal life events), deaths, personal life events, events (activities), Events (hierarchy name)) (AAT)

	topic is .... peacock (bird)
	.....(Phasianidae (family), Galliformes (order), Aves (class), Vertebrata (subphylum), Chordata (phylum), Animalia (kingdom), Eukaryota (domain), living organisms (entities), Living Organisms (hierarchy name)) (AAT)

Sources:

	Mercury and Argus (Greco-Roman narrative)
	................National Gallery of Art, Washington D.C. [online] (2001-)
	................Encyclopedia Britannica Online (2002-)
	................Metropolitan Museum of Art [online] (2001-)
	................Iconclass Illustrated Edition (2022-) in 97CC641 Mercury beheads Argus
	Hermes and Argos (Greco-Roman narrative)
	................British Museum [online] (1999-)
	Argus et Mercurio (Greco-Roman narrative)
	................Metropolitan Museum of Art [online] (2001-) inscription on print

Iconography Record Sources:

	................ Metropolitan Museum of Art [online] (2001-)