Argus : a hundred-eyed monster of Greek mythology
If you've ever
seen a
peacock display his magnificent spotted tail, then you've seen the
eyes of Argus the All-Seeing, a mythological creature reputed to have one hundred eyes on his head and body. Argus was chosen by the Greek goddess queen Hera to keep an
eye on Io, a priestess turned heifer who had caught the eye of Hera's dallying husband Zeus. Argus proved to be a vigilant watchman, but all of his eyes were eventually lulled to sleep by Hermes, who then killed him. After his death, Hera transferred the eyes of Argus to the
tail of the peacock. Despite his fate, "Argus" survives in English today as a word for someone who vigilantly oversees everything around him or her.
More abstracts about the argus