One of the most emotionally resonant additions to the Museum of Ancient Eleutherna’s collection, in Crete—exhibited to the public for the very first time—is the jar burial (pithos burial) of a young boy aged 10 to 11.
Discovered at the ancient site in Crete, the burial tells a poignant story of loyalty that mirrors a modern-day Hachiko. Following the tragic loss of his young master, the boy’s devoted hound ultimately died of grief and was buried right beside him, destined to protect him in the Underworld.
The moving story of a boy and his dog, reunited in death
“As we celebrate the museum’s 10th anniversary and enter our 11th year of operation, we wanted to share a deeply moving story—one that will resonate particularly with anyone who loves dogs, our companions from antiquity to the present day,” explains Professor Nikolaos Stampolidis, now in charge of the Acropolis Museum.
“We have brought to the exhibit the pithos burial of a young pre-adolescent boy, roughly the same age as this museum. After the child passed away and was laid to rest, his dog kept returning to the gravesite, eventually dying of a broken heart. We know the hound died later because its remains were found slightly above the layer of the initial burial, indicating that some time had passed before they laid the dog to rest just outside the jar. It was a Cretan hound—what we locally call a koulouki—buried there to accompany the boy into Hades.”
Professor Stampolidis notes that this profound bond is woven deeply into ancient Greek culture: “This kind of love is recognized as far back as Homer, where Achilles sacrifices Patroclus’s beloved hounds so they may accompany their master. We also know from philosophers like Socrates and Plato that ancient Greeks believed dogs and horses possessed a unique consciousness and intellect, setting them apart from other animals. This rich philosophical context is beautifully reflected in the wall texts accompanying this unique exhibit.”
Ancient Eleutherna: A major pillar of ancient Cretan civilization
Ancient Eleutherna, located on the northwest foot of Mount Ida on Crete, has been revealing archaeological treasures from the dawn of Greek civilization.
At 380 meters above sea level, south of the city of Rethymnon, Eleutherna, also called “Apollonia” at one time, is the birthplace of the poet Linos, the philosopher Diogenes, the tragic poet Ametor, and the sculptor Timochares.
Stampolidis recently remarked it now stands as the second major pillar of ancient Cretan civilization after that of Knossos and Phaistos.
He also emphasized that it tells the story of the dawn of Greek civilization of the post-Minoan era against the counterweight of Knossos and the one-sidedness of Crete’s Minoan past.
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