Grave Stele For Helena (detail), AD 150–200, Roman. Marble. Getty Museum
Art Break: A Dog's Life in Antiquity
ONLINE ONLY
This is a past event
Greeks and Romans were fond of dogs—not just as work animals but also as beloved pets. Taking inspiration from a Roman funerary monument depicting a plump Maltese, archaeologists Michael MacKinnon and Christina DiFabio explore how art, texts, and animal bones reveal ancient bonds with canine companions.
About the Speakers
Michael MacKinnon is full professor of Classics at the University of Winnipeg, Canada. He is a zooarchaeologist (specialist on animal bones) and has worked at over 50 sites in the ancient Mediterranean. His research focuses on how animal remains provide information about the animal-human relationship in ancient Greek and Roman cultures. He has published widely on zooarchaeological remains and especially pets in the Mediterranean.
Christina DiFabio is a graduate intern in Public Programs at Getty. She earned her PhD from the Interdepartmental Program in Classical Art and Archaeology at the University of Michigan in 2022. Her research focuses on urban development in Anatolia (Turkey) during the Hellenistic and early Roman periods. At the Getty Villa Museum, she recently developed themed tours and resources for college courses, and led the gallery tour "Ancient Animals at the Villa."