Question

while odysseus spoke an old hound, lying near, pricked up his ears and lifted up his muzzle. this was argus, trained as a puppy by odysseus, but never taken on a hunt before his master sailed for troy.... abandoned there, and half destroyed with flies, old argus lay. but when he knew he heard odysseus voice nearby, he did his best to wag his tail, nose down, with flattened ears, having no strength to move nearer his master... but death and darkness in that instant closed the eyes of argus, who had seen his master, odysseus, after twenty years. - the odyssey, homer what does argus symbolize? what detail in the passage shows arguss symbolic meaning?

Explanation:

Argus is Odysseus' dog. He was trained by Odysseus but abandoned when Odysseus went to Troy. After 20 years, when he hears Odysseus' voice, he tries to wag his tail. This shows his loyalty. His condition (old, half - destroyed with flies) symbolizes the state of Ithaca (Odysseus' kingdom) which has been neglected in Odysseus' absence.

Answer:

Argus symbolizes loyalty and the neglected state of Ithaca. The detail that shows his symbolic meaning is that he was trained by Odysseus, abandoned, and still tries to show loyalty (wag his tail) when he hears Odysseus' voice after 20 years.