Greek mythology dog names: meanings and stories

Part 1

Argos, the dog who waited for Odysseus

Odysseus raised Argos as a hunting dog before he left for the Trojan War. Twenty years later, when Odysseus returned home disguised as a beggar, he found Argos lying in a pile of manure, old, weak, and covered in ticks. Argos recognised him straight away, dropped his ears, and wagged his tail, even though he was too weak to get up and greet him. He died shortly after seeing his master again.

The name Argos comes from an Ancient Greek word meaning shining white or brilliant, with a secondary sense of quick and agile. In Homeric Greek, this word was often used to describe fast dogs. That history makes Argos a fitting name for a dog you would describe as bright, alert, or quick on his feet.

Scholars have called the Argos scene one of the most emotionally powerful passages in Western epic. Homer even gives Argos's death the same grammatical weight used elsewhere in the poem for moments when Odysseus reveals his true identity. Argos has also been read by scholars as a symbol of faithfulness within the larger story.

Part 2

The names of Actaeon's hunting dogs

Actaeon was a Theban hunter trained by the centaur Chiron. In the best-known version of the myth, he came across the goddess Artemis while she was bathing, and she turned him into a stag. His own hunting dogs then failed to recognise him and tore him apart. Ancient sources record the dogs' names individually, and Hyginus lists dozens of them.

• Melampus, one of the hounds, is a name linked to a keen sense of smell in retellings of the story.
• Ichnobates, one of the hounds, was a swift Cretan tracker.
• Pamphagos, meaning glutton, appears in the same list.
• Dorceus, described as meaning spy, is listed as well.
• Oribasos, meaning mountain-roamer, is another hound from the list.
• Laelaps, a name usually translated as hurricane, is also among Actaeon's hounds.

Many of these names describe a breed, a colour, or a hunting trait rather than a story of their own. That makes the list a useful place to look if you want a name that fits an active or working dog.

Part 3

Goddesses linked to dogs in Greek myth

Artemis, the virgin goddess of the hunt, is connected to Actaeon's hounds in some ancient accounts. Other authors said the hounds that killed Actaeon actually belonged to Artemis herself. That connection is one of the clearer examples of a Greek goddess linked directly to dogs.

Part 4

How to choose a Greek mythology name that fits your dog

If you want a name that says something about your dog, look at what the Greek word actually describes. Argos means quick and shining. Names from Actaeon's pack often describe a trait directly, such as Pamphagos, meaning glutton, or Ichnobates, a swift tracker.

Some Greek names are long, so it helps to say them out loud before you commit. You can shorten a longer name into an easy nickname for everyday use, the way many owners do with names from any language. Whichever name you pick, try calling it across a room a few times first to make sure your dog, and you, can say it easily.