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

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.

‘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)

• IntroductionChapter 1: The dog in Ancient GreeceChapter 2: Depicting the dog in Athenian sculpture and vase paintingChapter 3: Dogs in warChapter 4: Dogs in the huntChapter 5: Dogs and horses, riders and chariotsChapter 6: Dogs, athletics, music and educationChapter 7: Dogs in the symposium and komosChapter 8: Dogs and erosChapter 9: Dogs and deathChapter 10: Dogs and humansChapter 11: Dogs, deities and ritualsChapter 12: Dogs of mythConclusionsCatalogueReferences / BibliographyBibliographical NotesTables (I: breeds, II: Athenian dog names)Graphs (1: Vase shapes, 2: Themes, 3: Vase painters)ImagesIndex