Roman Military Dogs - "Never, when they are on the watch, shall the stables be afraid of a thief at midnight, or of an attack of wolves, or of Iberian brigands in the rear." Virgil "The Molossian dog of the Molossian region of Epirus was the strongest for the Romans and was specially trained for combat." Wikipedia.org/wiki/Dogs_in_warfare
I have been asked several times about the Molossian dog featured in my Scipio Africanus novels. People want to know if such a race exists because they can't find any records of it today. Rest assured, dear readers, Molos the dog is real. Although this breed is now extinct, it has many modern grandson breeds in the large working dog category!
Roman Military Dogs
Molossian hound. This version is sometimes called the "Jennings Dog". On display at the British Museum. Image from WikiMedia Commons, courtesy of Mike Peel.
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Moloss was used by the Romans as early as 300 BC. Ave. BC, following the traditions of Egyptian, Greek and Persian war dogs. The Romans used the molossus as one of their main military breeds, possibly with a spiked leather collar similar to the one still in fashion.
How were dogs used? One tactic was to send hounds into the ranks of the infantry to break up their ranks so that the Roman legions could penetrate them more easily. Another is to hunt enemies hiding in caves or forests. The third is for the dog to follow his master into battle, attacking anyone who dares to threaten his master. You might remember the opening scene of the movie
Where Roman war dogs run into the enemy after Russell Crowe looks at one of his war dogs and declares, "I got my mark, unleash hell!" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8IPzpaD4UOE.
Some large breed working dogs are descended from these 200+ pound giants: Mastiff, Aryan Molosser, Rottweiler, St. Bernard and the loyal and safe Cane Corso pictured below. As one of my favorite races, I had to add it to my Scipio novels!
Portrait Cane Corso Mastiff Dog Breed Stock Photo 1521848492
Along with the ubiquitous greyhound, the Romans valued the molossus as a loyal family companion and protector, and so he played the role of family dog in the Scipio series of books. Ursus (the Bear) became the protector of Scipio's beloved Amelia Paulus, although he tended to bark loudly at the most awkward (romantic) times!
@DancinginChains Martin Tessmer is a retired university professor and military training consultant. He is the author of the best-selling Scipio Africanus Saga series, which includes Scipio Rising, The Three Generals, Scipio's Dream, Scipio Risen, Scipio Rules, and Scipio's End. The Noble Brute is the first book in his new series on Quintus Fabius Maximus Rulianus. Molossus is a type of Molossian dog belonging to the ancient Greek tribe and kingdom of Molossians. In Rome, dogs were kept both as guards and as pets. In the cities and towns of Roman times, large dogs were kept by their masters as guards, war dogs, and also as pets.
The Roman legions derived their war dogs from an ancient mastiff-like breed known as the molosser. They are mainly used as guard dogs or for scouting, but some have spiked collars and armor and are trained to fight in line.
In the beginning, humans used dogs to guard their homes. Later, dogs became hunters and participated in wars as dog soldiers. They were used for defensive and offensive purposes or even as messengers. Unfortunately, in ancient times, when dogs were used as messengers, they often died.
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War dogs were used by the Egyptians, Greeks, Persians, Sarmatians, Bagands, Alans, Slavs, Britons and Romans. The Molossian dog from the Molossian region of Epirus was the strongest for the Romans and was specially trained for combat. Other civilizations used armored dogs to defend caravans or attack enemies.
The Cane Corso is actually a very old breed, descended from the molossian mastiff dogs of ancient Rome.
Molosser breeds are known for their broad chest, tall stature, and delicate legs. This group primarily includes hooligan breeds, mastiffs and anything that has evolved over time from these two sub-groups. The definition of the word Molosser is widely agreed upon, as these dogs are named after the Molossian tribes from which these dogs originate. As molossers are one of the oldest known groups in the world, many of the dog breeds that fit into this group are controversial, as some are extinct or have been bred too many times and no longer achieve the physical characteristics they once had. There are two groups within the Molosser group, which are divided into domestic or herd caretakers. Lighter molosser breeds were preferred as herd guardians because they resembled other animals, while lighter molosser breeds were played as home guardians because they blended into the nocturnal landscape.
The American Kennel Club does not currently recognize Molossers as a separate dog breed group, but there are many proposals to do so. There are currently 10 breeds proposed as the new Molosser group under the AKC. They are listed below: The British Museum exhibits the Jnings Dog, a Roman copy of a lost Greek bronze statue.
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The Moloss (Greek: Μολοσσός, Romanized: Molossós; also known as Molossian Hound, Epirus Mastiff) is a dog breed from Ancit Greece.
Molossians are dogs of the ancient Greek tribe and kingdom of the Molossians, who lived in the Epirus region.
The Molossus is world famous for its size and ferocity and features frequently in ancient literature, including the writings of Aristophanes,
Sometimes books and magazines, especially in continental Europe and North America, claim that all Mastiff-type dogs are descended from Molossians.
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This theory states that the ancestors of the race came to Molossia from Asia and were eventually discovered by the Romans to recruit many guards for the Roman army; This theory speculates that the various mastiff breeds found throughout Europe are descended from dogs left behind by the Romans.
This theory has been questioned by many experts, who say that it is based on guesswork and lacks historical evidence, and that mastiffs probably evolved elsewhere.
Another story is that Alexander the Great discovered giant dogs during his military conquests in Asia, which impressed him so much that he built several houses; as the son of a Molossi princess, these dogs were associated with his mother's people, and that all Mastiffs descended from these dogs.
The Molossi probably kept two different types of dogs, one a hunting dog with a wide muzzle that resembled something between a Great Dane and a heavy Hound, and the other a large canine animal keeper.
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In his book "History of Animals", Aristotle wrote: "Dogs of the Molossian breed, used for hunting, do not differ from other dogs; whereas those who follow the sheep are larger and fiercer in attacking the wild beasts.'
He also added that the mixed breed of Molossian and Laconian dogs were noted for their courage and endurance of hard work.
According to Greek mythology, the goddess Artemis gave Procris the dog Laelaps, which never failed to catch prey, and from this dog came the Molossian and Laconian hounds.
Some modern kennel clubs, including the Fédération Cynologique Internationale, classify the distinctive mastiffs with herding dogs among what they call "molossoids."
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This confusion is theorized to be due to mistranslations of earlier texts and assumptions based solely on size.
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