Educated Insolence

So what is with all the scruffy little cats found all over Greece? Perhaps a shortage of cat jobs over in Istanbul, with the same number of the felines found asleep on cars and steps of ancient ruins. But really, most of it has to do with the value the ancient world placed on cats, and the continued love of them into the modern day.

Cats, from strays living among early humans in Mesopotamia 100,000 years ago to worship of them in Egypt, have long been valued for their pest control abilities. While in Greece and Rome weasels were generally used instead, cats were still kept as pets and ironically seen as a symbol of independence by the Romans. Playwright Aristophanes coined the phrase “the cat did it”, and even some gods/goddesses were associated with the animal.

So again, why? The answer: blame the Phoenicians. The largest trading empire of their time, establishing a colony so big it started establishing colonies, the Phoenicians most likely brought cats to Europe by smuggling them out of Egypt. Today, however, the cats survive because of the food of tourists, along with the kindness of the locals.

Especially in Athens, where the alleyways and restricted ruins provide shelter for cats, the cat population can grow exponentially. Make sure to wash your hands if you pet the cats.

(This isn’t a Greek cat, this is my girlfriend’s cat Minerva)