CHAPTER ONE Dogs and Humans in Ancient Greece and Rome: Towards a Definition of Extended Appropriate Interaction Cristiana Franco A Social and Moral Agent Despite the highly anthropocentric nature of Greek and Roman soci- eties – where, with a few exceptions, speciesism was a very common prejudice and animals were variously exploited, abused, or plainly considered “killable bodies” (Agamben 1998) – cooperative domestic animals such as horses, oxen, and dogs ofen enjoyed a special status. Sometimes perceived as companions, their activity was highly appre- ciated and granted them a certain degree of respect. Owners gave dogs and horses personal names and bonded with them in many ways. However, there was a crucial diference between canine, on the one hand, and bovine or equine cooperation. Whereas horses, mules, and oxen were controlled by means of yokes, bridles, bits, hobbles, and the like, dogs’ agency was not directed from the outside: watchdogs, sheep- dogs, and hounds must act autonomously as ‘proxies’ of human agents. Pet dogs, on their part, had to acknowledge human etiquette. The dog’s agency answers to rules that the animal has to internalize; therefore, in order to be efectively part of human society, dogs must be trained to behave appropriately. Whether pets or working animals, dogs are normally expected to put up with many human social rules now as in past times. Ancient people were aware of this canine specifcity. An overview of the representations of dogs in ancient Greece and Rome and a new