Roman sculpture showing dog licking itself

Roman sculpture showing a dog licking itself. The artifact is located in the National Archaeological Museum of Naples.

In ancient Rome, dogs were written relatively much and rather flatteringly. It was an animal ubiquitous in the culture and everyday life of the Romans and the inhabitants of the Roman Empire. They wrote about him Pliny the Elder, Cicero, Columella, Cato the Elder and many other less famous authors.

Pliny the Elder in his “Natural History” enumerates all canine extraordinary things; Cicero soberly assesses dog’s vigilance and loyalty to the master, speed in hunting, courage and ferocity in combat. Columella and Cato look at the dog in terms of its usefulness and give practical tips on breeding and caring for it.