Argos - Blog Posts
sometimes i forget im such a big felix fan until i see 0.2 seconds of content about him and i go apeshit
Yup I am one of those people who very rarely cries with films, but I completely turned on the water hose with Hatchiko, so Argos definitely dehydrates my eyes too
The fact that Argos could recognize him immediately even under the spell is so touching, and the symbolism of selflessness and loyalty is the most beautiful and sad thing in this context 😢 Now I'm gonna take a moment to miss my doggo, he passed away much more than a decade ago and I still miss my boy... To someone who knows the type of bond these animals build with you this part of the story definitely hits harder💔
I've said it before but this is such a beautiful breed, adorable looking and yet so fierce looking as well, makes total sense that Argos could be one of these guys! It's perfectly fitting for the era and location, and for the types of chores they would use these animals for!
It's crazy how this boy has such a short appearance in the Odyssey yet it's so impactful! And it's so touching that Odysseus remembers him too despite him looking so old and weak 😢 and the fact that Odysseus could not even touch him or even cry for him at that moment is such a knife to the heart 😭 the good boy only feels that his job is done and now he can die happily for seeing his owner back home, that's all he wanted 😭
Oh that's interesting that despite not being able to hunt with his owner he was still known as such a fast dog which seems to imply he did his job well! Oh boy this could definitely be one more thing added to Odysseus' wrath on the women, who besides everything else also neglected his companion...
And man that is definitely a good point, Argos in a way makes Odysseus feel like he is looking at a mirror for his pain 😢
That's also a very interesting connection! It would be really cool if his name connects to both his speed and the Ship which is linked to Odysseus' family history. That's such a nice detail!
Oh man and it's true Argos is his last great loss after the arduous journey! And man seeing Argos so old when he can remember him as a lively young dog really does remind Odysseus that so many years have gone by since he has left, the weight of time crushing upon him with his companion 😢
Gosh yeah in a dog's prespective it was almost so much more than a lifetime, he waited until the very last second and was only holding on to life for Odysseus...
And definitely the fact that Odysseus was not even able to say goodbye in the last moments was the worst... He lost all of his comrades including his companion and he couldn't say goodbye to any 😢 plus the complete selflessness of the sweet boy being just satisfied at seeing him 😭😭
Again such a short passage yet so meaningful 😢 He waited for that moment, that's all he wanted and then he could depart 😢 and it's a good point that despite everything he had a quick ending while happy...
Oh man yeah... Argos knew right away and it's so sad that even his son had his doubts for a moment before recognizing him, because it has been so long and he couldn't remember him like that since he was a baby, while with Argos it was immediately from far away while Odysseus was disguised 😭
Gosh that is true too, his mother waiting for him was her death but to Argos it was his whole motivation to stay alive 😢
Oh gosh girl this short scene is so heartbreaking yet so beautiful 😭😭 the sadness for the companion he didn't even get to see for the last time 😢💔
It's so sweet that Odysseus remembers, and that he wants to go see Argos one last time before going to visit his father... even if it's just his body... And the way his smile fails at seeing nothing there 😭
And man that's so much for a dog to even live, in dog years that boy was more than 100! Really holding on the best he could... Poor Odysseus feeling the sadness and guilt of not being able to hold him 😢 it's even sadder that he expected to find nothing there but still was heartbroken for not seeing him... And the conflicting feeling of not wanting to see the corpse of his friend in a worse state but not having anything there still is so painful...
Aww him going down and crying and asking for forgiveness is so terribly sad and touching! Especially him telling him to wait a bit more... And trying to smile and be strong for him and his memory, promising and hoping to see each other again in the afterlife 😭
The symbolism of the branch from the olive tree he praises so much is so deep, and the little snack he remembers the dog liking is so cute ❤️😭
And it seems so painful for Odysseus to even walk away at that moment... the way he walks slowly after being called, he knows he must move on now but it hurts so much 😢
Amazing portrayal of emotions once again dear so beautiful sweet and sad 😭😭😭❤️❤️❤️
If you bawled your eyes out at Hachiko perhaps you are not ready for Argos 😭😭
Argos (a small analysis) + after note story
So we all know that Odysseus lost more than 600 of his shipmates in total (both at war but most of all to his fateful trip to return to Ithaca) but I believe we must talk more of one last loss Odysseus suffered and that was at his own home; the loss of probably his most loyal companion who recognized him unconditionally even under the spell of Athena; his loyal Dog Argos.
The Dog:
Argos was Odysseus's loyal hound. The dog has been identified by some other brilliant Tumblr writers such as @pelideswhore as a Greek/Hellenic Hare Hound:
A midium-sized ancient dog breed that has been used for millennias in Greece (and after the spread of hellenic culture by the colonies and Alexander the Great etc in most Balkans) as a hound and a tracking dog. These dogs are known for their exceeding loyalty, playful energetic temperament and unique personality.
In the Odyssey:
Argos appears only once in the Odyssey (Hom.17) and that is when Odysseus enters the gates of the palace he notices an old dog covered in flees and parasites at the gates of the palace. The recognition is mutual and immediate. Argos who waited for more than 20 years for his master who raised him from puppy no longer has the strength to move but slowly pushes his ears back and wags his tail softly. Odysseus on the other hand feels his eyes tear up and yet he has to wipe them and hide himself so Eymeus won't recognize him. He has to pretend again that he doesn't know and he has to walk past his most loyal friend. Argos on the other hand just leans back and dies on the spot for he has now the delight of seeing his master back home and now he can die in peace...
We get very little information on Argos story but we know that Odysseus raised him from pup but he didn't have much time to have joy with him ("ουδ' απόνητο" = he didn't use him, he didn't hunt with him) but Eumeus mentions how there was no quicker dog in hunting so in a way Argos at some point did hunt with the younger generation but eventually probably the dog grew older and more and more depressed. When Odysseus was pronounced dead by many the slave women neglected him and bore no respect for him anymore and so Argos withers away but keeps waiting for his master.
Interestingly the term of "use" here is απόνητο which seems to have the hidden essence of "pain" since πόνος stands for "pain" in Greek. So in a way the ουδ' απόνητο might as well have the hidden meaning "not without pain". In a way the dog is not without pain if anything his pain seems to reflect his master.
The name:
In regards to the name "Argos" stands for "swift" or "quick" in homeric Greek (which could be indicative on the dog's speed) but as some people tend to suggest in their headcannons it seems to be an indirect mention of "Argo" the legendary ship that went for the Golden Fleece. Odysseus is linked to the ship in more than one way;
According to some versions, his father Laërtes was one of the men who took part to the legendary quest as an Argonaut
One other member of the Argonauts was the legendary Heracles who, according to some myths, was linked to his grandfather, Autolycus who taught him how to wrestle.
Quite frankly both versions seem possible or if anything they are not mutually exclusive. Maybe the dog's swiftness was also a reason for Odysseus to link him to that ship.
The tragic importance of Argos:
The scene is probably the last death linked to Odysseus and the last death to affect him. Argos is also the first actual living proof that Odysseus gets for the consequences of the passage of time in such a brutal way. Yes he did see Eumeus and heard his tragic story but Argos is basically giving Odysseus the perspective of time; for him 20 years were a lifetime but for his dog it was double as such.
Odysseus faced someone who by perspective endured longer than what he did.
The death is also the slowest and most tragic he had to face; his comrades died violently and swiftly. Argos was there. Odysseus had the chance to say goodbye at least to ONE FRIEND before death and at that moment he was unable to. He had to pretend he didn't know him and he could not say goodbye to him. And yet Argos DIDN'T CARE!
To Argos it didn't matter that Odysseus had to pretend he didn't know him. He was unconditionally happy to see him again, so much that he totally just finally allowed himself to die after finishing his duty and greeting his master back home.
The ending of his life is also described abruptly and simply by Homer
"But alas, Argos received the fate of black death the moment he saw Odysseus upon the 20th year" aka "Death claimed Argos the moment he saw Odysseus again after 20 years). In a way the dog's death is the opposite of his life (his life was long and tormented but his end was swift, simple, happy and sweet)
Argos is an excellent parallel with Telemachus too in order to show how the heart is the one who recognized Odysseus and not eyes or mind. Argos knew Odysseus more than Telemachus due to the fact that he was raised by him but Argos didn't spend so much time with him either and yet he recognized him and welcomed him even under the disguise. Telemachus's first instict was that his brain doubted when he saw his father without a disguise before he was convinced. Argos knew...he always knew.
Odysseus was recognized for the last time by someone else before entering the palace as a beggar aka as a nobody again as someone without identity until he was recognized again by his old nurse.
Argos is in a way a parallel to Anticlea. Anticlea withered and died by waiting. Argos seemed to have gained strength by hope to see his master again for he endured for a life that was already almost double than most dogs and also this death Odysseus was on time to witness. Unlike Anticlea who died before Odysseus could be there in her final moments, he was there for Argos
Argos is yet another death that Odysseus was not allowed by circumstances to mourn.
A tribute to Argos
Odysseus walked slowly outside the door of the palace. After the day he finally spent to his home and the preparation of everything to visit his old father Laërtes, he knew there was something else he had to do...something he believed he owed to a friend. His heart clenched as he walked out of the walls. His sad smile failed. There was nothing there.
That spot he was staring now was the last resting place of one of his friends he never thought to see again; his loyal Argos. Argos had waited for him for two decades; more than double his lifetime and Odysseus couldn't even hug him one last time; If only he could! Even if he was covered in flees. Even if the dog was in terrible condition...he deserved it. And yet he couldn't.
However now there was nothing there.
Odysseus sighed. He had expected that. He had spent at least two days in the palace before he got his revenge. Who would have left a dead dog out there for so long? Odysseus was prepared to face the terrible sight of a corpse full of maggots and flies but apparently he was spared that last horror. He was both sad and grateful for that.
He fell to his knees and touched the spot where the loyal dog met his end and finally he let his tears fall for one last time for real this time.
"Forgive me, boy..." he whispered, "you waited so long..."
He wiped away his tears and forced a sad smile on his lips.
"We could have done so much together, my friend...alas fate had other plans... Perhaps we will get our chance in another life...maybe we can hunt together in the underworld..."
He placed a small lily flower and an olive branch from the tree in his room to the spot. He then left there a dried apricot; it was Argos's favorite snack he remembered.
"Forgive me my boy...you will have to wait for a bit longer...perhaps... Perhaps I will see you waiting for me when Argophontes brings me down the bitter river as a dead soul..."
He heard someone calling him. Yes, it was about time to go and pay his respects to the last person waiting for him...
He stood back to his feet
He slowly walked away.