Remains of a dog were found tangled with those of a Roman-era sailor when those ancient ships (and port) were discovered a few years ago at Pisa, Italy. I saw it suggested at that time that, rather than the sailor jumping in to save his dog, it was probably the other way around.
"Man is a dog's ideal of what God should be." -- Mark Twain
Roman Sailor Lives AgainAn ancient Roman sailor has been resurrected from a muddy grave in the wreckage of a ship sunk more than 2000 years ago near the ancient harbor of Pisa, just 500 yards from the Leaning Tower. Applying forensic techniques used in criminal investigations, Francesco Mallegni, an anthropologist at Pisa's university, reconstructed the face of a man whose intact skeleton was found in one of the 16 ships uncovered recently in the harbor... The skeleton reveals a vigorous and strong sailor with a powerful chest. He was about 40 years old and 5 feet 6 inches tall -- sort of a giant for the time... Some scholars say the storm that killed the sailor was catastrophic in scale. But he did not forget his dog, a basset hound who probably earned his food by keeping down rats attracted by jars full of grain, oil and wine.
by Rossella Lorenzi
Feb. 18, 2000
Dogs are dependent on humans to the point of being worshipful. Is it ego gratification that caused their owners to "take" their dogs with them to the afterlife?