The Secret Life of
(Ancient) Pets
By Irene Calderon
The ancients certainly liked dogs as much as we do today. The dog was the
undisputed favorite when it came to preference of pet, whether Greek or Roman.
Dogs were the ultimate symbol of loyalty (remember when Odysseus’s dog,
Argus, recognized him after 20 years?). The ancients admired dogs for their
other qualities too, like their courage and gentleness. There was even a favorite
breed: the Melitaean lap dog, originally from Carthage. These sweeties definitely
got the luxury treatment, with various tombs, paintings, and statues made for
their honor.
However, the ancients certainly weren’t afraid to venture into the exotic. It was
not uncommon at all to keep an ape for a pet, with references to ape up-keeping
present in works from Cicero, Plautus, and Martial! Interestingly, the ancients
taught apes all sorts of tricks, from playing musical instruments and spear
hurling, to dancing and juggling. Pet apes had a variety of description in art: in
one piece, the apes pulled a chariot that carried— you guessed it!— a Melitaean
lap dog. There was a toy of an ape reaching out for an apple, an ape on a leash
in a Carthaginian mosaic, and an ape carved on a gravestone of a certain C.
Julius Saecularis.