Though it only takes up about a page and a half in The Odyssey, the story of Argos the dog is a truly touching one. It not only is a homecoming vignette that contributes to the more domestic aspects of Odysseus's journey and makes the reader a bit emotional, but it also provides some interesting comparisons for the other characters that Odysseus meets in disguise as he tests their loyalty. Argos seems to be the one character who has no ulterior motives (for lack of a better term) for staying loyal to Odysseus, as he is a simple creature who is also man’s best friend.
To give an example of one of these comparisons, we can look at the loyal swineherd, Eumaeus. He is loyal to Odysseus in that he carries on life as though he is waiting for him to come home and still sort of mourns his disappearance, as “the heart inside [him] breaks when anyone mentions [his] dear master” (14. 195). However, he has no doubt in his mind that Odysseus is lost forever, which he tells Odysseus (in disguise) many times. So Eumaeus seems to be staying loyal to Odysseus partly because he is still grieving the loss of his master, probably partly because he is a good person who wants to stay on the “good” side, but also probably for the sake of Penelope and Telemachus, to whom he is still loyal to. After all, the reunion between Telemachus and Eumaeus is described as that of one between a father and son. Meanwhile, however, Argos displays true loyalty, as he is over twenty years old and is literally staying alive just so he can catch a glimpse of his master before he lets himself die, as he has no other reason for living.
Penelope and Telemachus are also loyal characters, but they too have their doubts and other reasons for waiting for Odysseus. Telemachus has never met his father, so he probably does not really miss him much as a person. Rather, he wants his father to come back and get rid of all the suitors who are exploiting his hospitality and competing to marry his mother: “He could almost see his magnificent father, here…/in the mind’s eye – if only he might drop from the clouds/ and drive these suitors all in a rout throughout the halls/ and regain his pride of place and rule his own domains!” (1. 134-137) In addition, Telemachus still has many doubts that his father will return, even after Athena tells him so and takes him on his journey. He doesn’t even believe Odysseus at first when he reveals himself to Telemachus.
Anyway, I know it seems a bit cliche to use the dog as the epitome of loyalty, and it may be a bit excessive to write an entire blog post about him, but I thought that the scene with Argos was so touching because he had the most straightforward reasons for waiting for Odysseus, which brings into light some of the other characters’ motives. In addition, it proves this classic homecoming-man-meets-his-dog scene is really timeless, and I found it amusing that the Greeks from thousands of years ago would be touched by this kind of classic reunion just as much as we are.
THIS SCENE WAS SO SAD :( When I was reading it, I was mainly focusing on the emotional aspect of the dog dying and wasn't really paying attention to analyzing it. But I see your point about Argos' loyalty revealing the motives of other characters. It's especially evident with Telemachus, because as you said, he doesn't really know his father and he makes it clear at several points throughout the Odyssey that he wants his dad to get rid of the suitors. He doesn't really mention missing him just out of love, it's mostly because he can't get rid of the suitors on his own and needs Odysseus' help.
ReplyDeleteThe use of a family dog to signify loyalty has indeed become a cliche, but it's remarkable to me that we see it deployed in such an ancient text: as far as I know, it's not a cliche in ancient Greek literature, and it's one of the most remarkable moments in the epic poem when the world of Odysseus looks very familiar to contemporary readers.
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