In Homer’s Odyssey, Odysseus’ faithful dog was named Argos.
Odysseus had been away from Ithaca for twenty years: ten years fighting at Troy and another ten years attempting to return home. When he finally arrived, he disguised himself as a beggar so that he could assess the situation before revealing his identity.
Argos recognized Odysseus immediately, even though the dog was old, neglected, and lying on a pile of dung. The animal had once been strong and swift, but during Odysseus’ absence no one cared for him properly. After seeing his master again, Argos died, having waited long enough to identify him.
This brief episode occurs in Book 17 of the Odyssey and is one of the poem’s most memorable recognition scenes. Argos is sometimes confused with Cerberus, the multi-headed hound of Hades, but they are entirely different dogs in Greek mythology.