Dog In Ancient Greek Art Essay

Dogs are represented in both two and three dimension in ancient Greek art, and such art acts as further evidence as to the roles of dogs. In terms of dogs existing as pets in ancient Greece, there is a great example of the melitaean dog in the role of pet. The oldest representation of a melitaean dog is found on an amphora from around 500 B.P. The amphora is decorated with the image of a young man walking with a small dog walking just ahead of him. It is clear that the man is not engaged in hunting. Instead, he looks well dressed and the scene has the feel of a leisurely stroll. The dog itself is clearly outlined and is more stylistic than detailed. Its posture is relaxed and it seems in good condition, which is in keeping with the idea that it is a pet.1

Dogs are also represented in hunting scenes on vases. For example, a 5th century vase depicts a hare hunt in which two dogs accompany two humans in pursuit of a hare. Once again, the dogs are represented in a stylistic manner, although the dogs are clearly represented wearing collars to which their handlers have attached leads. The dogs appear to be a type of hound which is often associated with hunting, and one of the dogs is represented in a way that conveys that it is smelling,

perhaps trying to locate the scent of the hare. Meanwhile, the lead dog is more animated, even pulling on the lead, as it looks to have located the hare.2

In addition to two dimensional art, dogs are represented in three dimensional sculpture. An example of this is the marble sculpture of a hunting dog from the 6th century, which is thought to have guarded the sanctuary of Brauronian Artemis. The dog appears remarkably life-like, and seems to be in a position that a dog might adopt before it were to pounce. The features of its body are clearly defined, so much so that the dog's individual ribs are clear, along with its muscled shoulders, perfectly formed legs and face, which leaves the dog looking as if it is in a highly focused mental state. Such a posture and appearance would indeed suit a sculpture that was used to guard a religious site.3

References in Text

In Greek myths and literature, dogs have often been used for expressing some kind of monster, particularly beasts associated with the underworld.4 Kerberos, the dog of Hades, figures prominently in Greek myth and literature. The dog is described as a beast, often made up other animal parts. Kerberos has been described as possessing multiple heads, with the tail of a serpent, a mane of snakes, and the claws of a lion. This dog was first mentioned in Homeric poems as the “baneful dog of Haides” but was first referred to by name by Hesiod. His job was to guard the gates of Haides, which is the entrance to the underworld, to prevent ghosts of the dead from existing the underworld, which Hesiod describes clearly: “And before them a dreaded hound, on watch, who has no pity, but a vile stratagem: as people go in he fawns on all, with actions of his tail and both ears, but he will not let them go back out, but lies in wait for them and eats them up, when he catches any going back through the gates.”5

There is also the story of a magical dog named Lailaps, who is named after a storm wind. This dog was a present from the god Zeus to Europa of Crete, and the dog was said to always catch its prey. The dog was intended to catch a fox that was wreaking havoc on the lands of Thebes, although this particular fox was also magic, in that it was never to be caught by a predator. Once this problem of the Lailaps never being able to catch the magic fox became clear to Zeus, he decided to turn both Lailaps and the fox to stone and they became the constellations in the sky, Canis major and Canis minor, leaving their eternal contest to be exhibited in the sky.6

In addition to myth, some ancient Greek philosophers also made reference to dogs in their writing. For example, in acknowledging the intelligence of dogs, Plato uses the qualities of the dog as those which are necessary qualities for guardians of the state. So, in Greek text dogs are not only recognised as being intelligent, but they are often associated with the underworld and gods, and that dogs possess some kind of spiritual force.7

Role in Religion

According to Burriss, dogs are often used in religious practices such as rites of aversion.

This is so because of general disposition of dogs which sees them acting as guardians against harm to their owners. Specifically, dogs drive away people and animals that are thought to pose a threat, hence their use by herders and as guard dogs. Thus, people tended to carry this thinking over to the realm of evil and spirits.8 This thinking could be supported by bearing in mind the site at Kavousi where multiple dogs were buried under a humans tomb. Perhaps by burying the dogs directly beneath the tomb it was thought that the dogs would offer protection against evil spirits and provide companionship and safety on the journey to the

underworld.9

According to Plutarch, dogs were also used as scape-animals in ancient Greece.10 Dogs, particularly puppies, were used in cleansing rituals, where the person to be cleansed was rubbed all over with puppies. Additionally, when a person was suffering an illness, puppies would be applied to the person's body which was affected and it was held that the disease would be transferred to the dog. The dog then would die and be buried, disposed of into a running stream, or cremated. Furthermore, it was commonly thought that puppies could also be used to discover the cause of an unknown illness. For example, if someone was suffering an unknown illness of the stomach, newborn puppies, which had yet to open their eyes, would be taken and be placed on the patient's stomach for a period of three days. Once the puppies had then died, they would by cut open, and from this dissection the cause of the patient's ailment would be learned.11

So in terms of religious and philosophical significance, it seems as though the ancient Greeks, who clearly understood the abilities and behaviours of dogs, applied them to the realm of spirits and the underworld. For them, dogs were guardians, could sense danger that humans couldn't, and were willing to provide defence. Thus dogs could do the same sort of job in the afterlife by helping humans on their journey after death. Moreover, while living, the dogs could also detect and protect against disease, hence their use as scape-animals.