The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition. 2002.
Argus
A creature in classical mythology who had a hundred eyes. Hera set him to watch over Io, a girl who had been seduced by Zeus and then turned into a cow; with Argus on guard, Zeus could not come to rescue Io, for only some of Argus’ eyes would be closed in sleep at any one time. Hermes, working on Zeus’ behalf, played music that put all the eyes to sleep and then killed Argus. Hera put his eyes in the tail of the peacock.
