In Homer’s Odyssey, Odysseus’s dog that recognizes him after twenty years is Argos.
Argos appears when Odysseus returns to Ithaca disguised as a beggar. The old dog lies neglected on a dung heap, but immediately recognizes his master even though Odysseus has been absent for two decades. Odysseus secretly wipes away a tear because he cannot openly reveal his identity.
Argos dies shortly after seeing Odysseus. His brief appearance is one of the poem’s most memorable examples of loyalty and recognition. The scene also contrasts the dog’s faithfulness with the disorder in Odysseus’s household, where the suitors consume his wealth.
Argos is sometimes confused with Cerberus, the multi-headed hound of the Underworld in Greek mythology. Cerberus belongs to a different mythic tradition and does not appear as Odysseus’s pet.