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H 290 x W 205 mm

422 pages

305 figures, 2 tables

Published May 2025

Archaeopress Archaeology

ISBN

Paperback: 9781803279978

Digital: 9781803279985

DOI 10.32028/9781803279978

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Keywords
Dogs; Athenian Art; Athenian Vases; Athenian Sculpture; Attic Funerary Reliefs; Canine Body Language; Iconography; Human-Animal Studies

Related titles

Dogs in Athenian Sculpture and Vase Painting of the Archaic and Classical Periods

By Katia Margariti

Paperback
£65.00
Includes PDF

PDF eBook
(personal use)
£16.00

PDF eBook
(institutional use)
£65.00

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This book analyses the iconography of dogs in Athenian art, highlighting their roles as companions, hunters, pets, and status symbols. It explores their presence in various aspects of ancient Greek life, their association with gods and heroes, and their depiction in funerary reliefs, reflecting the deep human-canine bond.

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Contents

Introduction

Chapter 1: The dog in Ancient Greece

Chapter 2: Depicting the dog in Athenian sculpture and vase painting

Chapter 3: Dogs in war

Chapter 4: Dogs in the hunt

Chapter 5: Dogs and horses, riders and chariots

Chapter 6: Dogs, athletics, music and education

Chapter 7: Dogs in the symposium and komos

Chapter 8: Dogs and eros

Chapter 9: Dogs and death

Chapter 10: Dogs and humans

Chapter 11: Dogs, deities and rituals

Chapter 12: Dogs of myth

Conclusions

Catalogue

References / Bibliography

Bibliographical Notes

Tables (I: breeds, II: Athenian dog names)

Graphs (1: Vase shapes, 2: Themes, 3: Vase painters)

Images

Index

About the Author

Katia Margariti has a PhD in Classical Archaeology and is a Research Associate of the Department of Classics of the University of Reading. Having published three books and peer-reviewed articles in leading academic journals, she is currently co-authoring two books and co-editing a conference proceedings volume. She is co-founder and administrator of the online group for the study of animals in Greco-Roman Antiquity (Zoa – Animals in Greco-Roman Antiquity), co-organizer of two major international conferences on animals in the ancient Mediterranean. Her research interests focus on Greek art and iconography with special emphasis on ancient Athens, funerary art (especially funerary sculpture) and animals in antiquity.

Reviews

In sum, Katia Margariti’s work is an essential study for anyone interested not only in dogs, but also in animals in the ancient world. It not only substantially enriches our understanding of the Athenian case but, thanks to its methodological approach, also stands as a model for future research in other geographical and cultural contexts. Far from being merely a catalogue of iconographic types and themes, the book approaches dogs as animals in their own right and even offers glimpses into the emotional bonds that may have developed between dogs and humans. For all these reasons, the volume rightfully takes its place within the fields of art history, cultural history, and the study of animals in Antiquity.’ [translated] – Sebastián Uribe Rodríguez (2026): Gerión, 44(1)