We will look at the role of non-human animals as divinities, especially in Egypt (Anubis, Horus, Bastet), as hybrids in Mesopotamia and Greece, but also as possible theomorphic remnants in Greece, the many animals in connection with the cult of Artemis, Athena’s owl, Hera’s peacock, etc.), as sacred “objects” (snakes, pigs, bees), as companions (birds, dogs, cats), as “love gifts” (rabbits, doves), as working animals, as food, in sacrifice (bulls, cows, sheep, pigs), in war (horses and elephants), in hunting (deer, lizards, and birds), in entertainment among the Romans (the Colosseum -- lions, tigers, ostriches), and in Greek and Latin writings about morals and intellect (Aesop, Plutarch, Lucretius). In order to do justice to this subject, an interdisciplinary approach will be used. We will analyze materials from a number of fields, such as History and Literature (Homer, Pliny the Elder, Aesop, Plato, Plutarch, Ovid, Seneca, Aelianus, and others), Archaeology (pottery, sculpture, figurines), Epigraphy (inscriptions mention animals in various contexts), Zoology (Athenaeus, Pliny the Elder), and Mythology (Homer, Pausanias, Ovid, pottery, jewelry, coins). We will conclude with a glance at the role of animals and their relationship to humans in contemporary western and eastern societies, including the birth of the modern day Animal Rights movement, and Veganism and Vegetarianism in the United States and Europe with emphasis on Italy. Prerequisites: None; a prior course in classics, history, art, archaeology, zoology, or equivalent is recommended