Two thousand years ago, Roman homes displayed the same warning many houses still use today.
Walking through the stone-lined streets of Pompeii, your footsteps echo softly off the ancient walls. The basalt paving stones are worn smooth after centuries of cart wheels and sandals passing over them.
You occasionally notice a small mosaic set into the floor of a house entrance.
A simple image.
A dog.
Underneath it are two Latin words:
CAVE CANEM.
“Beware of the dog.”
Two thousand years ago, many Roman homes had watchdogs guarding their doors.
Dogs were loved companions in Pompeii’s heyday, just as they are today. They guarded homes and shops, barked at strangers, and wandered the streets of the city.
Some Pompeii homes even had iron rings set into the walls or courtyards where watchdogs could be chained during the day.
The famous “Beware of the Dog” mosaic was discovered in the House of the Tragic Poet, …
