The Argos of mythology was built at Dodona, where an ancient sanctuary of Zeus was located. A stadium was built there in the 3^rd century B.C., open like a sunflower to hold 18,000 people. (far left and "flower" from disk) Dodona also had several temples, a theater, a stadium, and an acropolis, including a Temple of Heracles. Was Dodona the site of the first Olympic Games?

Dodona was the oldest oracle, sacred to Zeus and Dione. An old oak tree there became an oracle when a black dove, from Egyptian Thebes, settled on it. Priestesses interpreted the rustling of the tree's leaves, the cooing of doves, and the clanging of brass vessels that were hung from the tree's branches. At Dodona, they spoke in images - symbols - not words. Does the Phaistos Disk preserve part of their symbol language?

Also in Dodona were the Oreiades, (right) divine children of the Dactyloi and cousins of the dancing Curetes. They were nymphs of the mountain oaks (1) and pines. They were usually portrayed with serpents (2), and they carried thyrsoi, pine-cone tipped staves or poles. (3) Thyrsoi were symbolic wands, generally cane-like or knotted like a bamboo, and sometimes wreathed with ivy or vine leaves, with a pine-cone at the top. (Plutarch)

The Argos (1) was made of sacred oak (2) from the oracle at Dodona. The Argonauts were sailing the Aegean Sea (3) searching for the golden fleece (4) belonging to the ram (5) that had been sacrificed to Zeus.

Herakles and his brothers, the five original Curetes, are said to have built the alter of Olympic Zeus (1) and to have begun the Olympic games with a foot race, (2) which Herakles won. He received as his prize a branch of the wild olive. (3)