Ancient Greece
Cats Used as Symbols
Within Ancient Greece, cats were seen to have mystic qualities about them that were related to many different types of symbols. The most common symbol that the Greeks believed to be true with their feline friends was the association that cats had with the goddess Artemis, who was the goddess of hunting and wild animals. Because of how common it was around the world to use cats as hunters for small rodents to help keep the security of a household, it makes sense for a connection like this to be made. Cats were also seen as symbols of fertility because of their fast and frequent reproduction rate. Within the ancient Greek times, monitoring something like a farm cat’s reproductive status was not a concern for the average pet owner. The final major symbol cats were seen as was a symbol of protection. This plays hand in hand with the goddess of Artemis as their wilderness instincts were often the driving force for those actions of protection for a household. Within Greek times, cats were used aboard ships where their protective instincts would continue to play a role within their relationship with their owners.
Specific Stories
One of the more popular stories about cats' involvement within ancient Greek folklore is the story of “The Cat and the Fox.” This story serves as a moral lesson on the concepts of trust and the opportunity for betrayal. The story goes that a cat, and a fox discovered a farm where they were met with an enormous supply of cheese. The cat and the fox planned to get within the building where the cheese was stored. The cat would climb a large tree nearby and retrieve the food, then pass the food down to the fox, before she would make her way back down. Once the cat climbed the tree, got the food, and passed it down to the fox, she realized she could not get down from the tree without the fox’s help. At that point, the fox had already realized his opportunity for more food by ditching the cat and not sharing and leaving her. This story shares the concept of being careful about who you trust. Not everyone has good intentions, and it is important to choose your companions wisely.
Cats in Art and Literature
When it came to cats' involvement with the arts, they were not the most popular animal depicted. While cats served as a major help with controlling pests and being companions to their owners, it was more common within ancient Greek times for dogs, horses, and birds to be depicted within this period. The most popular involvement cats had within literature at the time was with the text called, “The Birds.” This was a sort of comedy sketch for the time and joked about cats' constant chase with their fascination of birds. Within artwork, a major form of design was the art of ceramics. Within that realm, the ability to tell stories through the paintings on the side of these forms was a major art. Animal and human depictions were quite common at the time, and cats were sometimes included in the storytelling of the works. Overall, while cats were not the most prominent within the arts, they were still featured and honored within Ancient Greek history.
