On This Day: The Supplicia Canum
June 3 in Rome: Hundreds of dogs are marched through the city on a grim parade—punished for staying silent during disaster.
Unknown — "Three-handled jug with relief medallions" (late 2nd–early 3rd century CE), public domain
A parade of shame for barking’s absence.
On June 3, Romans led a bizarre annual ritual—dozens of dogs were paraded through the streets, muzzled and tied to a crude wooden frame, jeered by the crowds. Meanwhile, pampered geese rode high on purple cushions.
A debt from the Gauls, paid in public.
The reason? Long ago, when Gauls stormed the Capitoline, the sacred geese honked and saved Rome—while the guard dogs slept. So, every year, dogs bore the punishment for silence, while geese received the city’s thanks in style.
Memory with teeth—and feathers.
The Supplicia Canum wasn’t just animal theater. It was history as spectacle—a warning that vigilance and loyalty would outlive the moment, and that Rome would never forget a debt, not even to a goose.
Every year, Romans staged the Supplicia Canum—dogs were displayed in disgrace for their ancestors’ failure during the sack of Rome, while sacred geese rode in honor for sounding the alarm.
