In Greek mythology, Argos was Odysseus' faithful dog. He waited for his master's return to Ithaca for over a decade while most presumed Odysseus dead. He was the first to recognize the King returning from the Trojan War, even though Odysseus was disguised as a beggar to discover what was going on in his palace during his absence. It was said that as soon as Argos recognized his master, he dropped his ears and did his best to wag his tail. Having fulfilled his destiny of faith by laying his eyes upon his master once more, he released a final wimper and died. Greek mythology comprises the collected legends of Greek gods and goddesses and ancient heroes and heroines, originally created and spread within an oral-poetic tradition. ... Odysseus Laërtiadês (Greek: , son of Laertes), or simply Odysseus (meaning man of wrath according to Homer) or more likely (from Greek οδηγός: odigos, a guide; the one showing the way. ... Ithaca, see Ithaca (disambiguation). ... The Trojan War was a war waged, according to legend, against the city of Troy in Asia Minor by the armies of Greece, following the kidnapping (or elopement) of Helen of Sparta by Paris of Troy. ...

Homer, Odyssey , Book 17:

As they were thus talking, a dog that had been lying asleep raised his head and pricked up his ears. This was Argos, whom Odysseus had bred before setting out for Troy, but he had never had any work out of him. In the old days he used to be taken out by the young men when they went hunting wild goats, or deer, or hares, but now that his master was gone he was lying neglected on the heaps of mule and cow dung that lay in front of the stable doors till the men should come and draw it away to manure the great close; and he was full of fleas. As soon as he saw Odysseus standing there, he dropped his ears and wagged his tail, but he could not get close up to his master. When Odysseus saw the dog on the other side of the yard, dashed a tear from his eyes without Eumaeus seeing it, and said:

"Eumaeus, what a noble hound that is over yonder on the manure heap: his build is splendid; is he as fine a fellow as he looks, or is he only one of those dogs that come begging about a table, and are kept merely for show?"

"This hound," answered Eumaeus, "belonged to him who has died in a far country. If he were what he was when Odysseus left for Troy, he would soon show you what he could do. There was not a wild beast in the forest that could get away from him when he was once on its tracks. But now he has fallen on evil times, for his master is dead and gone, and the women take no care of him. Servants never do their work when their master's hand is no longer over them, for Zeus takes half the goodness out of a man when he makes a slave of him."

As he spoke he went inside the buildings to the cloister where the suitors were, but Argos died as soon as he had recognized his master.