Just some really great ancient animal pictures

in honor of the wonderful Pompeian fresco dog

You might have heard this week that some new frescoes were discovered in Pompeii. They’re gorgeous:

There’s a lot we could say about the lovely details on Helen’s jewelry and hair, or the omphale Cassandra is sitting on. But let’s be real, we’re all just here for this good boi:

This dog’s face is everything. I make this face at least ten times a day. My dog makes this face all the damn time.

Somehow, this Pompeian dog knows how unbearable and catastrophic Helen and Paris are as a couple. It’s looking straight at us, as if to say, “I know, guys. They suck, and they’re going to ruin everything. But we can’t stop this dumpster fire from happening. Sorry.”

I am somewhat known for my well-documented fear of terrifying ancient Roman depictions of dolphins. But many ancient animals are absolutely delightful and charming! This seems like as good an opportunity as any to share some of my other favorite animals from ancient art.

This 4th century Apulian squid (via Twitter) truly looks straight out of Spongebob Squarepants:

This hippo mosaic, also from Pompeii, was definitely made by someone who had never seen an actual hippo, because its teeth are somehow both more and less terrifying than the real thing:

It’s a classic, but this 2nd century parrot mosaic is just such an incredibly charismatic little guy:

There are too many wonderful Greek pottery octopodes to choose just one. This one is probably the most (rightly) iconic. But I also really enjoy these extremely not-to-scale guys from a 6th century Eretrian phiale:

Have a lovely weekend, and feel free to share your own favorite ancient animals in the comments!