Odysseus‘s old dog, who recognised his master after twenty years, wagged his tail and died.
From Ithaca. Today: Ithaki, Greece. Some scholars think Homer’s Ithaca was nearby Kefalonia.
Strength 2/10 · Wisdom 3/10 · Courage 6/10 · Divinity 1/10 · Fame 7/10
The story
Odysseus‘s hunting dog, trained before he left for Troy. Twenty years later, old and neglected, he lay on a dung heap outside the palace.
How it ends
When Odysseus came home disguised as a beggar, Argos alone recognised him, wagged his tail and dropped his ears. Odysseus could not greet him without giving himself away, and the old dog died.
Still with us today
It is one of the most famous scenes about animal loyalty in literature.
Family
The sources do not agree on, or do not name, Argos’s family.
Appears in
Ancient sources
- Homer, Odyssey