Key Points

- Odysseus's loyal dog who lay abandoned, weak from old age and in his own filth for his master to return and passes soon after they are reunited

- This act of loyality, strength and courage caused even mighty Odysseus (and Mr. Rink) to weep

Be at Peace Brave and Noble Warrior

Brief Bio

In Homer's Odyssey, sometimes referred to as Argus, is the legendary faithful dog of Odysseus. Bred to be a hunting dog before Odysseus leaves for the Trojan War, Argos is neglected after Odysseus is presumed dead. Twenty years later, Odysseus returns to Ithaca and finds him lying in piles of manure, immobile from old age and neglect, and infested with parasites. When Argos sees Odysseus, he immediately drops his ears, wags his tail and recognizes him. Disguised as a beggar, Odysseus cannot greet his dog without revealing his identity, but secretly weeps. Upon seeing his master return home, Argos dies.

The Argos scene is among the most well-known episodes in the Odyssey and scholars of classical literature have commented on its structure, meaning, and literary value. Argos has been described as a symbol of faithfulness and a metaphor for the decline of Odysseus and his household within the larger narrative of the poem. Argos's death is signaled using language typically reserved for the noble deaths of warriors, and a periphrastic construction is used to focalize the narrative as if told from his perspective.