Names for Roman Dogs

[Nephele]

What did the ancient Romans name their four-legged best friends? Lucius Iunius Moderatus Columella gives us a few recommended names in the section of his work on agriculture dealing with the rearing and training of dogs. Other likely sources used by the ancient Romans for dog names may have come from literature, in much the same way that people today draw on literature for naming their dogs.

 

Just as many a slave with a Greek name might be found in an ancient Roman household (with Greek names either originally belonging to the slaves or names fancifully taken from history and legend and bestowed by the masters), the Romans appeared also to have taken a shine to Greek names for their dogs, as illustrated by Columella. Perhaps they thought these Greek names sounded classier?

 

Presented here is a list of dog names in both Greek and Latin, as recorded by various Roman writers. Each name is followed by gender, meaning, cited source, and a brief, descriptive quote from that source.

 

A

Edited October 20, 2007 by Nephele

[Publius Nonius Severus]

Nice topic! If my kids can ever convince me to get another dog I now have some good candidates for names! Thanks!

[Nephele]

Nice topic! If my kids can ever convince me to get another dog I now have some good candidates for names! Thanks!

 

Thanks, PNS! Now, get the kids a dog!

 

I should have mentioned that Columella may have gotten some of his dog names from poet Publius Ovidius Naso (43 B.C.E. - 17 C.E.), as his Alce, Lacon, and Tigris are named among the hounds of the ill-fated hunter, Actaeon, in Book III of Ovid's Metamorphoses.

 

Perhaps Ovid's story of Actaeon's hounds was a common source for dog names for the Romans, much as literature today is a source for pet names. Just for fun, here's an alphabetical list of Actaeon's hounds, gleaned from my Penguin Classic edition of Ovid's Metamorphoses (translated by Mary M. Innes). The descriptions in parentheses aren't necessarily what the names mean, but rather are the poet's descriptive additions.

 

Aello ("the stout runner")

Agre (the "keen-scented")

Agriodus ("cross-bred of a Cretan mother and a Spartan father")

Alce

Asbolus (the "black-haired")

Canace

Cyprius (brother of Lycisce)

Dorceus (Arcadian breed)

Dromas

Harpalus ("who had a white spot in the middle of his black forehead")

Harpyia ("with her two pups")

Hylactor (the "shrill-barking")

Hylaeus ("who had lately been gored by a wild boar")

Ichnobates ("the wise" and "of the Cretan breed")

Lachne (the "shaggy")

Lacon ("a dog of outstanding strength")

Ladon ("from Sicyon, slender-flanked")

Laelaps

Lebros ("cross-bred of a Cretan mother and a Spartan father")

Leucon (the "white-coated")

Lycisce (the "swift" and sister of Cyprius)

Melampus (a Spartan breed)

Melaneus

Nape ("offspring of a wolf")

Nebrophonus (the "strong")

Oribasus (Arcadian breed)

Pamphagus (Arcadian breed)

Poemenis ("the shepherd dog")

Pterelas ("the swift runner")

Sticte

Theron (the "fierce")

Thous

Tigris

 

I welcome any assistance from the language mavens on this board who might be inclined to give the genders (going by the names) of Actaeon's hounds in the above list.

 

-- Nephele

[brotus maximus]

i have to mention that i like the names: Agre, lacon,lebros,theron,lupa and ferox somwhow those names jump out at me and kinda in a weird and twisted way i feel drawn to them. i think when i get the huskies that i have always wanted i think i will name them after these names(and maybe some other names from here). thanx for the names nephele

B.M

[Rameses the Great]

Caligula (the mad)

[Nephele]

thanx for the names nephele

 

You're welcome, BM! And... Thank Columella, Propertius, Martial, Petronius, and Ovid!

 

Rameses... "mad dog"

 

-- Nephele

[Gaius Paulinus Maximus]

Cerberus - In Greek mythology, Cerberus or Kerberos (Greek Κέρβερος, Kerberos, "demon of the pit") was the hound of Hades, a monstrous three-headed dog (sometimes said to have 50 or 100 heads) with a snake for a tail; he was also seen with a dragons tail and serpentine mane.

 

 

Somehow I don't think a "Beware Of The Dog" sign would be required ..... Do you??

[Nephele]

Somehow I don't think a "Beware Of The Dog" sign would be required ..... Do you??

 

I should think not! I would love to know whether any ancient Roman actually named his dog "Cerberus", although it does seem a likely -- and fitting! -- name for a Roman guard dog!

 

-- Nephele

[Andrew Dalby]

Here are a few translations of the Greek names --

 

Dromas -- runner

Harpyia -- this has to be a bitch's name, "Harpy" (the savage mythical creature)

Nebrophonus -- death to fawns (sad but true)

Oribasus -- mountain wanderer, good name for a hunting dog

Pamphagus -- eats everything (I knew one like that)

[Nephele]

Here are a few translations of the Greek names --

 

Dromas -- runner

Harpyia -- this has to be a bitch's name, "Harpy" (the savage mythical creature)

Nebrophonus -- death to fawns (sad but true)

Oribasus -- mountain wanderer, good name for a hunting dog

Pamphagus -- eats everything (I knew one like that)

 

A HUGE "thank you!", A.D.! I'm adding this to my notes.

 

Would you also have the time to identify which of the dogs on Ovid's list are male (in addition to those with the obiously male -us suffix) and which are female (in addition to Harpyia) based on their names? I'm not familiar with all those Greek endings.

 

You have me laughing over that name "Pamphagus"! I think we all know a Pamphagus or two.

 

-- Nephele

[Gaius Paulinus Maximus]

Somehow I don't think a "Beware Of The Dog" sign would be required ..... Do you??

 

I should think not! I would love to know whether any ancient Roman actually named his dog "Cerberus", although it does seem a likely -- and fitting! -- name for a Roman guard dog!

 

-- Nephele

 

I got the name "Cerberus" from The Cambridge Latin Course book, it's the name of the family's pet dog that feature's through-out the course book. I've tried finding another mention of the name elsewhere but have had no luck, but like you say it would be a perfect name for a fearsome Roman guard dog.

[brotus maximus]

I think cerberus would be an awesome name for a guard dog ecially if it was like a doberman or a huge assed guard dog

Edited May 2, 2007 by brotus maximus

[Nephele]

Having consulted a few different translations of Ovid's Metamorphoses and having selected two, I offer this alphabetical list of Actaeon's hounds with their name-meanings:

 

Aello f.: Cyclone (MS), Whirlwind (FJM),

Agre f.: Trapper (MS), Hunter (FJM),

Agriodus m.: White Fang (MS), White-tooth (FJM),

Alce f.: Valiant (MS), Might (FJM),

Asbolos m.: Soot (MS & FJM)

Canache f.: Gnasher (MS & FJM)

Cyprius m.: Cyprian (MS & FJM)

Dorceus m.: Gazelle (MS & FJM)

Dromas m.: Runner (MS & FJM)

Harpalos m: Eager (MS), Grasper (FJM),

Harpyia f.: Seizer (MS & FJM)

Hylactor m.: Barker (MS & FJM)

Hylaeus m.: Woody (MS), Sylvan (FJM),

Ichnobates m.: Tracker (MS), Trail-follower (FJM),

Labros m.: Fury (MS & FJM)

Lachne f.: Shaggy (MS), Shag (FJM),

Lacon m.: Spartan (MS & FJM)

Ladon m.: Ladon, name of a river in Arcadia (MS), Catcher (FJM),

Laelaps m.: Hurricane (MS & FJM)

Leucon m.: Whitey (MS), White (FJM),

Lycisce f.: Wolf (MS & FJM)

Melampus f.: Blackfoot (MS), Black-foot (FJM),

Melanchaetes m.: Blackfur (MS), Black-hair (FJM),

Melaneus m.: Blackie (MS), Black (FJM),

Nape f.: Dale (MS), Glen (FJM),

Nebrophonos m.: Fawn Slayer (MS), Fawn-killer (FJM),

Oresitrophos m.: Mountain Pup (MS), Mountaineer (FJM),

Oribasos m.: Mountain Ranger (MS), Mountain-ranger (FJM),

Pamphagos/Pamphagus m.: Devourer (MS), Voracious (FJM),

Poemenis f.: Shep (MS), Shepherd (FJM),

Pterelas m.: Wing (MS), Winged (FJM),

Sticte f.: Spot (MS & FJM)

Theridamas m.: Beast Slayer (MS), Beast-killer (FJM),

Theron m.: Hunter (MS & FJM)

Thoos m.: Swifty (MS), Swift (FJM),

Tigris m./f.: Tiger (MS), Tigress (FJM),

 

MS = Michael Simpson. The Metamphoses of Ovid (Amherst: University of Massachusetts Press, 2001) 49-50.

FJM = Frank Justus Miller, Metamorphoses: Books I-VIII (Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 1916) 138-141.

 

-- Nephele

[Primus Pilus]

We gave this article it's own unique home in the article section of the site. I hope more people out there in cyberspace get a chance to see it as a result...

 

http://www.unrv.com/culture/names-for-roman-dogs.php

[G-Manicus]

Punctum - "Spot"