Argus from greek mythology, is he a hero or a monster?

Question

Argus from greek mythology, is he a hero or a monster?

Answer 1

As a reader of Greek Mythology, I know of 2 Arguses that were significant. Argus 1 is a monster with eyes all over his body used by Hera to guard Io (one of Zeus' liaisons) now in the form of a cow. He was slain by Hermes under the orders of Zeus to free Io, and for his service, Hera placed his eyes on the peacock--her sacred animal. Another Argus (human so i guess hero) was the famous shipbuilder of the Argo, used by Jason and the Argonauts to sail to Colchis and obtain the golden fleece.

Answer 2

Argus Panoptes (Argus "all eyes") is a giant with a hundred eyes. He was also the nymph Io's nephew.

# Argus was the eponym of the city of Argos. The son of Zeus and Niobe, daughter of Phoroneus, he succeeded his uncle Apis as King of Phoronea, which he renamed after himself. According to one account, he married Evadne, the daughter of Strymon and Neaera, and bore Ecbasus, Peiras, Epidaurus and Criasus. According to another account, his wife was nameless, and his sons were Peiras, Phorbas, and Tiryns.

# Argos is the long-lived dog of Odysseus in the Odyssey.

# Argus in the tale of the Argonauts is a shipwright, the builder of the ship the Argo, which is named after him. The vessel was used by Jason in his quest for the Golden Fleece, Jason and his compatriots called themselves Argonauts, after the ship.

# Argus was the eldest son of Phrixus and Chalciope, daughter of Aeëtes. Argus and his brothers set out to return to their grandfather's kingdom of Orchomenus, but were shipwrecked and rescued by the Argonauts. Argus and his brothers Cytissorus, Melas and Phrontis aided Jason and the Argonauts in their quest, and later returned with them to Greece.

# Argus is the son of Phineus and Danaë, in a rare variant of the myth in which she and her two sons (the other being Argeus) travel to Italy.