Argos (dog)
.jpg) Odysseus leaning on his pilgrim's staff, recognized by his old dog Argos (drawing of a Greek intaglio on a scarab made of chalcedony) | |
| Species | Canis familiaris |
|---|---|
| Sex | Male |
| Notable role | Hunting dog |
| Known for | Waiting faithfully for Odysseus to return to Ithaca |
| Owner | Odysseus |
| Residence | Ithaca |
In Homer's Odyssey, Argos (/ˈɑːrɡɒs, -ɡəs/; Ancient Greek: Ἄργος), sometimes referred to as Argus, is Odysseus's faithful dog. Bred by Odysseus to be a hunting dog before he leaves for the Trojan War, he is neglected and Odysseus is presumed dead. Twenty years later, Odysseus returns to Ithaca and finds him lying in piles of manure, immobile from age and neglect and infested with parasites. When Argos sees Odysseus, he immediately drops his ears and wags his tail. Disguised as a beggar, Odysseus cannot greet his dog without revealing his true identity, but secretly weeps. Upon seeing his master return home, Argos dies.
The Argos scene is among the most well-known scenes in the Odyssey and scholars of classical literature have commented on its structure, meaning, and literary value. The only character in the Odyssey to recognize Odysseus immediately, Argos has been variously described as a symbol of faithfulness and a metaphor for the decline of Odysseus and his household (oikos) within the larger narrative of the poem. Noteworthy uses of language permeate the scene; Argos's death is signaled using language typically reserved for the noble deaths of dying warriors and periphrastic constructions are used to bring focus away from both the plot and human characters to Argos.
Name
[edit]The name "Argos" (Ancient Greek: Ἄργος) is derived from the Ancient Greek adjective ἀργός (argós), meaning literally 'shining white, brilliant' with a secondary metaphorical meaning of 'quick, agile'; this semantic change is also found in the related Sanskrit language. The movement of the Ancient Greek accent from the oxytone to the paroxytone is typical of proper nouns.[1] Robert S. P. Beekes translates his name literally as 'the nimble one'.[1] The name is derived from the Proto-Indo-European word *h₂rǵ-ró-s – a zero-grade derivative of *h₂erǵ- 'white, glittering' – with the second *r being dropped through dissimilation. The name is cognate with Latin argentum 'silver' and Hittite 𒄯𒆠𒅖 ḫar-ki-iš 'white, bright', among others.[1] The name is etymologically related to the Argo (Ἀργώ), the ship used by Jason and the Argonauts in the story of the Golden Fleece.[1]
In the Odyssey
[edit]As soon as he saw Ulysses standing there, he dropped his ears and wagged his tail, but he could not get up close to his master. When Ulysses saw the dog on the other side of the yard, he dashed a tear from his eyes without Eumaeus seeing it, [...]
In the Odyssey, Odysseus begins his return to Ithaca after ten years of fighting in the Trojan War. His attempts to reach his home last another ten years, during which his family and friends believe him to be dead and various suitors attempt to marry his wife Penelope. Upon his return, Odysseus is disguised as an elderly beggar and reveals his true identity to his son, Telemachus. Together, they agree that Penelope's suitors must be killed. Odysseus travels with his swineherd slave Eumaeus, whom he has not revealed his identity to, into town. As they are traveling, Argos awakes to the sound of Odysseus's voice. It is revealed that Odysseus had raised him as a hunting dog and, before Odysseus had left for the war, Argos was used to hunt deer, wild goats, and hares by other young men, but had never gotten to hunt with him. After Odysseus left for Troy, Argos was neglected and, as Odysseus walks by, is lying in deep piles of manure and riddled with ticks.[a] Once Argos recognizes Odysseus, he drops his ears and begins to wag his tail, but his condition leaves him unable to get up and greet Odysseus; Odysseus begins to cry, wiping a tear from his eyes. He asks Eumaeus about the dog and Eumaeus replies that Argos belonged to Odysseus and was once a great hunting dog who caught everything he tracked. Eumaeus recounts that after Odysseus had been presumed dead, no one took care of Argos and Eumaeus curses the servants for their negligence. As the two men enter where the suitors are, Argos dies.
Analysis
[edit]
The reunion scene between Odysseus and Argos is among the most famous episodes in the Odyssey.[8][9] It has been described as one of the most emotional scenes in Western literature.[10] There are three major elements of the scene to which scholarly attention has been largely paid: its placement in relation to other events in the story, the emotional gravity (pathos), and as a metaphor for Odysseus and the state of his household (oikos).[11][12]
Within the Oddyssean narrative
[edit]Argos's scene is placed in the middle of the seventeenth book of the poem and is a part of a larger section of the visitation narrative in the book, where Odysseus goes to meet his wife's suitors, and is part of that scene's inversion of the expected "hospitality ritual".[13] The appearance of Argos begins a series of anagnorises and is the only anagnorisis in the Odyssey where two characters recognize each other immediately and simultaneously.[14] Throughout the poem, Argos is the only character who recognizes Odysseus immediately.[5][14] The revelation by the narrator of Argos's death uses the keynote phrase "in the twentieth year" (ἐεικοστῷ ἐνιαυτῷ eeikostōi eniautōi) which is usually reserved for when Odysseus reveals himself to another character or to signal the consequences of his absence.[5][15] The narrative language depersonalizes Odysseus as 'his master' (anax), using this periphrastic construction in order to bring the focus of passage to Argos.[5][16] Some authors, such as Bernhard Frank and Maurice Bowra, have argued that the scene signals Odysseus's "true moment of homecoming", since it displays both how long he has been gone and how loyalty and affection have remained.[10]
An overarching purpose of the narrative is to create "tension through retardation"; that is, the context in which the story is takes place is given more narrative tension by stalling out getting to the period which would relieve that tension for the audience.[17][18] In this case, this narrative device stalls Odysseus from confronting his wife's suitors in his own home.[18][19]
As a symbol of Odysseus and his oikos
[edit]
Scholars have widely emphasized the analogous relationship between Argos and Odysseus, as well as between Argos and Odysseus's oikos.[12] Argos is a major aspect of the "watchdog motif" found throughout the Odyssey, where watchdogs are used as symbols for something else; Argos represents the dilapidation of Odysseus's oikos. Elements of Argos's story relate, sometimes word-for-word, to parts of the poem related to Odysseus's son Telemachus. Odysseus is described as having raised Argos, but "got no joy of him" (οὐδ' ἀπόνητο oud' apónēto) since he left for Troy shortly thereafter. The exact same phrase is used in the previous book to describe the relationship between Odysseus and Telemachus, leading the audience to examine the relationships in parallel.[20]
Several authors have written that, in some ways, Argos represents Odysseus himself.[21] Argos lies in piles of manure, which mirrors Odysseus's beggar disguise, and his body is infested with parasites, which mirrors how Odysseus views his wife's suitors as "vermin" infecting his oikos. Both Odysseus and Argos have their glorious pasts contrasted with their current poor conditions.[22] In his response to Odysseus's inquiry about the dog, Eumaeus frames Argos as an analog for Odysseus himself; Argos's excellence in hunting and physical prowess are ascribed to Odysseus earlier in the poem and in the Iliad.[23]
Bernd Steinbock has argued that the episode with Argos contains parallels to the later scene between Odysseus and his father Laertes seven books later.[24] Although still mobile, Laertes no longer travels into town and awaits only his son's return to Ithaca. Grief-ridden, he debases himself by wearing shoddy clothing and doing slave labor, mirroring the tick-ridden Argos.[25] Laertes wears a dog-skin helmet (κυνέη kynéē, derived from κύων kýōn 'dog') and suffers miserably like Argos in Odysseus's absence.[25]
Pathos
[edit]_De_werken_van_Odysseus_(serietitel),_BI-1883-1235-37.jpg)
Scholars have identified several literary devices which amplify the emotional impact of Argos on the story. Odysseus's recognition of Argos's combined faithfulness and destitution leads to his emotional response; the inability of both to act on their emotions – Argos, unable to walk, and Odysseus, unable to acknowledge – encourages the audience to sympathize with both.[16] The language surrounding Argos treats him as a human character; he is given a name and an introduction.[5][26]
Argos's friendly behavior also invites the audience to experience anxious concern for Odysseus; if Eumaeus notices Argos behaving friendly towards an ostensible stranger, it might raise his suspicions as to Odysseus's identity before he is ready to reveal it.[27] Argos's inability to move towards Odysseus thus provide the audience with relief – as Argos is unable to unwittingly betray his master's disguise – and further emotional turmoil, since the reunion cannot be fully consummated.[16] The contrastive narrative between Argos's past as an unequaled hunting dog with his current powerlessness – mirroring Odysseus's condition prior to confronting his wife's suitors – creates an atmosphere of uncertainty about the possibility of Odysseus's chances of success against the suitors.[10][28] Throughout the Odyssey, Odysseus holds back or hides his tears from the audience, but upon seeing Argos, he cries and – although the tears are hidden from Eumaeus – they are not hidden from the audience.[29]
Death
[edit]Ἄργον δ' αὖ κατὰ μοῖρ' ἔλαβεν μέλανος θανάτοιο,
αὐτίκ' ἰδόντ' Ὀδυσῆα ἐεικοστῷ ἐνιαυτῷ.
But as for Argus, the fate of dark death seized him,
right away after he had seen Odysseus in the twentieth year.
When Argos dies, the narrative of the poem uses language reserved for the noble deaths of dying combatants – the "solemn death formula" – which elevates Argos as a noble and heroic figure.[5][26] Argos's death fulfills Odysseus's hopes for his own death, adumbrated in book seven: "And let life leave me when I have once more seen my property, my servants, and my great high-roofed house."[15][29] The timing of his death – immediately after seeing Odysseus – demonstrates his unwavering fidelity to his master and serves to further the pathos of the scene and Argos's inclusion in the larger narrative.[15] Bernhard Frank argues, using Argos's destitution as a representation of Odysseus's, that Argos's death symbolizes the end of Odysseus's decline; Odysseus's restraint demonstrates his resolve to complete his mission, "thereby released from his weak self-image and the dangers of sentimentality [...] he is now free to move on".[30]
See also
[edit]- Man's best friend (phrase)
- Greek mythology in popular culture
- Cultural depictions of dogs
- Human–canine bond
References
[edit]Notes
[edit]- ^ The nature of Argos's infestation is not uniformly translated; the original Greek phrase ἐνίπλειος κυνοραιστέων (enípleios kynoraistéōn) has been variously translated as "covered with ticks",[3][4] "covered in vermin",[5] and "full of fleas".[6] Alexander Pope's translation, comprising rhyming couplets, uses the phrase "obscene with reptiles".[7]
- ^ The caption reads: 'Odysseus accompanied by Eumaeus, and dressed as a poor person, goes to his house, where his dog Argos recognizes him. Following this example, we must no longer doubt that animals have a certain instinct which makes them sometimes more eager than men themselves to recognize their good elements.'
Citations
[edit]- ^ a b c d Beekes 2010, p. 126.
- ^ Butler 1900, pp. 228–229.
- ^ Steinbock 2018, p. 12.
- ^ Mitchell 2013, ¶4.
- ^ a b c d e f de Jong 2001, p. 421.
- ^ Butler 1900, p. 228.
- ^ Pope 1725, Book XVII.
- ^ Steinbock 2018, p. 9.
- ^ Frisch 2018, p. 11.
- ^ a b c Frank 1993, p. 202.
- ^ Steinbock 2018, pp. 12, 15–16.
- ^ a b Frisch 2018, p. 12.
- ^ de Jong 2001, p. 407.
- ^ a b Frisch 2018, p. 8.
- ^ a b c d Steinbock 2018, p. 15.
- ^ a b c Steinbock 2018, p. 14.
- ^ de Jong 2001, pp. 409, 416, 421.
- ^ a b Frisch 2018, pp. 8–9.
- ^ de Jong 2001, p. 416.
- ^ Steinbock 2018, pp. 12–13.
- ^
- de Jong 2001, p. 421.
- Steinbock 2018, p. 15, 17–18.
- Frank 1993, p. 202.
- ^
- Steinbock 2018, p. 17.
- Frisch 2018, p. 12.
- Frank 1993, p. 202.
- ^ Steinbock 2018, pp. 16–17.
- ^ Steinbock 2018, p. 22.
- ^ a b Steinbock 2018, p. 23.
- ^ a b Steinbock 2018, pp. 14–15.
- ^
- Steinbock 2018, p. 14.
- Frisch 2018, p. 8.
- Frank 1993, p. 202.
- ^ Steinbock 2018, pp. 17, 19.
- ^ a b de Jong 2001, p. 422.
- ^ Frank 1993, pp. 202–203.
Sources
[edit]- Beekes, Robert (2010). Lubotsky, Alexander (ed.). Etymological Dictionary of Greek. Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series. Vol. 1. Leiden: Brill. ISBN 978-90-04-17420-7.
- Butler, Samuel (1900). The Odyssey Rendered into English Prose for the Use of Those Who Cannot Read the Original. Longmans, Green, and Company. ISBN 978-1-4974-6744-6. Retrieved 8 December 2024.
- de Jong, Irene J. F. (2001). A Narratological Commentary on the Odyssey. Cambridge University Press. doi:10.1017/cbo9780511482137.020. ISBN 978-0-521-46478-9.
- Frank, Bernhard (1993). "Homer's the Odyssey, Book 17, Lines 291–327". The Explicator. 51 (4): 202–203. doi:10.1080/00144940.1993.9938026. ISSN 0014-4940.
- Frisch, Magnus (2018). "ἦ μάλα θαῦμα κύων ὅδε κεῖτ᾽ ἐνὶ κόπρῳ: The Anagnorisis of Odysseus and His Dog Argos (Hom. Od. 17, 290–327)". Literatūra. 59 (3): 7–18. doi:10.15388/Litera.2017.3.11830. ISSN 1648-1143.
- Mitchell, Stephen (2013). "The Death of Argos". The New Yorker. Retrieved 8 December 2024.
- Pope, Alexander (1725). Odyssey. London: Henry Lintot.
- Steinbock, Bernd (2018). "The Narrative Richness of the Argus Scene (Od. 17.290–327)". In Pratt, Louise H.; Sampson, C. Michael (eds.). Engaging Classical Texts in the Contemporary World: From Narratology to Reception. Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press. pp. 9–28. doi:10.3998/mpub.9905263. ISBN 978-0-472-12442-8.
Further reading
[edit]- West, M. L. (2014). The Making of the Odyssey. Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198718369.003.0006. ISBN 978-0-19-871836-9.
External links
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Media related to Argos (dog) at Wikimedia Commons
