Buzz
In ancient times, people were deeply captivated by animals. They inhabited a world where animals roamed freely, a stark contrast to today’s world where we’re lucky to encounter a few birds or pet a dog. Back then, farm animals wandered through city streets, and dangerous wild creatures still prowled across Europe.
Animals were viewed as a peculiar reflection of humanity, offering valuable lessons through their behavior. Fables were spun, myths were woven, and early scientific studies were conducted to understand the animal kingdom. Some animals even played significant roles in historical events.
Here are ten legendary animal stories from ancient Greece and Rome.
10. The Ridiculous Raven
Ravens and crows are incredibly intelligent birds, capable of everything from using tools to mimicking human speech. The ancients were fascinated by anything that blurred the lines between the animal and human worlds, so it’s no surprise that a talking raven once nearly sparked a riot.
Pliny the Elder recounts the tale of a raven that one day visited a cobbler’s shop. The man raised the bird and taught it to speak. Each day, the raven would fly to the heart of Rome, greet the emperor and the people by name, then return to its home with the cobbler. But a rival shoemaker, envious of the bird’s fame, decided to murder it. He claimed the raven had soiled his shoes and killed it in revenge.
When word spread about the raven’s death, the murderer was expelled from his home and put to death. The raven was given a grand funeral, its body paraded on a bed of flowers, with thousands attending. A tomb was built in its honor, known as the Field of Rediculus.
9. The Ring-Eating Fish
The ancients understood that nothing lasts forever. It was common knowledge that a streak of good luck must eventually come to an end. Herodotus tells the story of how Polycrates, the Tyrant of Samos, sought to ward off bad fortune from ever reaching him.
Polycrates had enjoyed an unbroken streak of victorious wars and amassed immense wealth. When he proposed an alliance with the Pharaoh of Egypt, the Pharaoh declined, warning that the tyrant's eventual downfall might drag his allies down with him. The Pharaoh advised Polycrates to cast away his most prized possession to appease the gods and avoid their wrath.
Following this advice, Polycrates sailed out to sea and tossed his valuable emerald ring into the water. Content that by sacrificing something precious he could continue his streak of good fortune, he returned home. Just as he did, a fisherman arrived at the palace with a beautiful fish he had caught. When the cooks cut open the fish, the ring was discovered inside, and Polycrates realized that his luck had run out.
8. The Boy-Loving Dolphin
The ancient writer Aelian collected a vast number of peculiar animal stories, often reflecting on the relationships between humans and animals. One of his tales recounts the tragic story of a dolphin who fell in love with a handsome boy.
One day, a boy from the town of Iasus was exercising and decided to take a refreshing dip in the sea. A dolphin spotted him and, captivated by the boy’s beauty, began to follow him every day. Soon, the dolphin and the boy were inseparable, often seen swimming together, with the dolphin carrying the boy far out to sea on his back.
Tragedy struck when the boy, exhausted from a day of playful swimming, collapsed onto the dolphin's back and was impaled by the dolphin’s fin. The dolphin felt his friend’s life slip away and carried his body back to shore. Heartbroken by the death of his beloved companion, the dolphin threw himself onto the shore and died beside him. The townspeople, deeply moved by this act of devotion, buried them together in the same grave.
7. Elephants as Entertainers
When elephants first arrived in Italy as part of Hannibal’s invading army, they terrified the Romans. But as the Romans began to solidify their dominance, elephants transformed into mere spectacles, entertaining the crowds in the arena.
Pliny the Elder shares fascinating stories about elephants as tall as the creatures themselves. He tells of elephants reverently burying their tusks if they fall out, their private mating habits driven by a sense of shame, and the belief that they can live for up to 300 years. Despite regular appearances of elephants in Rome, these ideas persisted.
Pliny also recounts how elephants in the arena were trained to perform remarkable feats, like walking on tightropes—both forwards and backward. Some even danced intricate steps, and one elephant was said to have written in Greek in the sand, ‘I have myself written these words.’ While not profound, it was still quite impressive.
6. The Moby Dick of Constantinople
The seas were some of the most perilous places for the ancients. Their ships were fragile, and violent storms often destroyed vessels, sending sailors to their doom. Whales, with their enormous size and unpredictable behavior, must have struck terror into any sailor who encountered them.
As the writer Procopius recounts, during the reign of Emperor Justinian I, a whale named Porphyrios appeared in the waters near Constantinople, wreaking havoc on the ships attempting to reach the port. Over the course of fifty years, the whale was said to surface at random and attack ships. This became a serious problem for the emperor as trade dwindled due to captains steering clear of the city. Despite Justinian's orders to kill the whale, it always managed to escape.
When the whale, Porphyrios, accidentally stranded itself on the shore, the locals seized the opportunity for vengeance. A mob swarmed the creature, slaughtered it, and indulged in a feast of its flesh.
5. A Favorite Steed
The Roman emperor Caligula has become synonymous with ruthless and tyrannical rule. While historians debate whether Caligula was truly as mad as ancient sources portray him, the stories of his insanity have become legendary. None more so than his bizarre attachment to his horse, Incitatus.
According to ancient sources, Incitatus was Caligula’s beloved horse, and as such, was showered with lavish luxuries. His stable was furnished with polished marble, and his food was served from an ivory manger. But his meals were far from ordinary—flakes of gold were mixed into his oats. Expensive gems and fine fabrics were draped over him, all at a time when many people struggled to afford basic necessities like bread.
The most notorious aspect of Caligula’s obsession with Incitatus was his claim to make the horse a consul, the highest office in the Senate. Historians have speculated that Caligula might have been mocking the Senate, suggesting he believed that even a horse could perform their duties.
4. Taming Lions
In *The Iliad*, Homer frequently compares raging warriors to lions, the fiercest of creatures. Despite these comparisons and lions’ fearsome reputation, the Romans were fascinated by the challenge of taming these mighty beasts.
Pliny recounts that the method of capturing lions and neutralizing their threat was discovered by a shepherd by chance. When a lion charged at him and his flock, the shepherd used the only tool at hand—his cloak—and threw it over the lion’s head. This confused the lion so thoroughly that it became defenseless. What had once been nearly impossible—hunting lions—now became easy with this simple technique. Mark Anthony, it is said, even rode in a chariot drawn by lions.
When Hanno the Carthaginian showed that he could tame a lion by resting his hand on its head, he was immediately exiled from his city. The belief was that any man capable of taming a lion could eventually rule over his entire country.
3. An Octopus in the Toilet
While most people fear the idea of spiders hiding in their toilets, it’s probably best not to think of even more unsettling creatures like rats or snakes emerging from the bowl. However, for the Romans, there was one story that outdid them all—a giant octopus creeping out to raid your home.
According to Aelian, a group of fish merchants were shocked to discover that their entire stock had been stolen from their storeroom. They searched the doors, the walls, and even the roof, but couldn’t find any point of entry. To solve the mystery, they stationed an armed guard in the room overnight, hoping to catch the thief in the act.
In the darkness, the guard observed a colossal octopus emerging from the sewer and smashing the jars that held the fish. Naturally, he was too terrified to confront such a huge creature on his own. The following night, a team was positioned to trap the thieving octopus, sealing the sewer to prevent its escape. They then rushed forward, cutting off its tentacles and ultimately killing the beast.
Pliny recounts the tale of a giant octopus that ventured onto land to raid fish ponds. This creature had to be hunted down by dogs before it could be stopped.
2. Striking Peacocks
Peacocks are among the most unattractive birds one could consider keeping. They're costly, provide no useful purpose, and their piercing call is enough to induce a headache. However, they do possess one remarkable feature—their extraordinary plumage.
In ancient Greece, the peacock was closely tied to the opulent Persian Empire, with which the Greeks frequently clashed. When an Athenian named Pyrilampes was sent as an ambassador to Persia, he returned with a pair of peacocks. These eye-catching birds created a stir. Pyrilampes was accused of using the peacocks to bribe women into his bed, and the comic playwright Aristophanes humorously suggested that the best way to lure a boy into bed was by offering him a peacock.
The peacock, once revered as a majestic creature, became a symbol of danger for its keepers. The Athenians saw these birds, introduced from Persia, as a form of corruption. They were used as a means to attack Pyrilampes’s son, Demus, who was accused of hoarding peacocks and keeping them from being shared with the public. This charge nearly led to his exile from Athens.
1. A Dog’s Life
Stories of dogs' loyalty, like that of Greyfriars' Bobby, who stayed by his master's grave for years, have long been beloved. The Romans, too, were fond of their canine companions. Some even built marble tombs for their devoted pets, resulting in many tales of faithful dogs being passed down through the ages.
One of the most remarkable tales is about a dog who remained loyal to its master even after the latter was executed for treason. Titius Sabinus was put to death for offending Emperor Tiberius, and his dog followed the body to the place where criminals' corpses were discarded. The dog mourned beside the body, unwilling to leave. When onlookers offered the dog bread, it took it but carried it to its master's mouth, as though trying to feed him. Even when Sabinus's body was thrown into the river, the dog swam after it and dragged it back to safety.
