Peritas: Alexander the Great’s favorite dog

Peritas was the favorite dog of Alexander the Great, who accompanied him during his military campaign. The nickname given to the dog apparently comes from the Macedonian name for the month – January.

According to another version, Alexander named his four-legged pet this way, meaning the word perittos – extraordinary. They say that the great commander was the first to passed an animal protection law. Peritas is known to have “defeated” a lion and an elephant on the battlefield. They count the dog one of the ten dogs that left their mark on history.

The breed is difficult to identify and remains unknown. Experts say it was most likely Epirus Molosserothers claim that it was a greyhound or a bulldog.

According to Pliny, it was the king of Epirus (northwestern part of Greece) Pyrrhus who gave the dog to the Macedonian. The dog was a real favorite of the legendary commander. He never went to bed until Peritas lay down next to him.

And then one day, during the battle with the Persians at Gaugamela, a war elephant attacked the governor, and he was on the verge of death. But at the last moment, the devoted dog attacked the animal, grabbed his lower lip with his teeth and hung on it. Thus, Peritas distracted the elephant and gave Alexander the opportunity to escape.

Unfortunately, the dog himself was not so lucky. After the battle, Alexander the Great found his dog dead. He gave Peritas a solemn funeral with all honors, and then even founded the city of Perit in memory of his beloved pet.

There is another version of the death of the brave dog. During the next assault, Alexander found himself in an enemy fortress. The dog attacked the opponents. This allowed us to gain time during which Alexander’s soldiers managed to break through to the aid of the commander. But the animal was wounded with a spear. The dog died in the arms of its owner.

The ancient Greek philosopher and historian Plutarch wrote that Alexander the Great, a great warrior who saw death every day and easily endured his own pain, wept bitterly over the lifeless body of his favorite.

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