yonder on the manure heap: his build is splendid; is he as fine a fellow as he looks, or is he only one of those dogs that come begging about a table, and are kept merely for show?' 'This dog,' answered Eumaios, 'belonged to him who has died in a far country. If he were what he was when Odysseus left for Troy, he would soon show you what he could do. There was not a wild beast in the forest that could get away from him when he was once on its tracks. But now he has fallen on evil times, for his master is dead and gone, and the women take no care of him. Servants never do their work when their master's hand is no longer over them, for Zeus takes half the goodness out of a man when he makes a slave of him.' So saying he entered the well-built mansion and made straight for the riotous pretenders in the hall. But Argos passed into the darkness of death, now that he had fulfilled his destiny of faith and seen his master once more after twenty years. —Homer, Odyssey, Book 17, lines 290-327 See also Man's best friend (phrase) Greek mythology in popular culture Hachikō — a real-life dog who waited for his dead owner for years after his master had died Greyfriars Bobby — another real-life dog who stayed by his master's grave for fourteen years Shep (American dog) — a real-life dog whose master's casket was taken away by train and met every train for six years until his death Gelert — belonged to Llywelyn the Great, Prince of Gwynedd. Defended a baby from a wolf attack. Jurassic Bark — an episode of Futurama with thematic elements similar to those of Odysseus and Argos, involving Fry and his dog waiting for him till his death References Characters in the Odyssey Mythological dogs Dogs in literature