Animals as Main Characters in the Dreams in Plutarch

Three dreams have animals as main characters in Plutarch’s works: Themistocles 26.3 (a snake that changes into an eagle), Cimon 18.2 (a barking dog) and De sera 555 B-C (wolves and vultures). In these three cases Plutarch uses animals in order to foresee the immediate future of the dreamers but also because of the mythological and literary symbolism they have. This paper will focus on these symbolisms related to the dreams.