Laconian (dog)
| Laconian | |||||||||||||||||
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 Statue of a hunting dog with Laconian characteristics found in the sanctuary of Artemis Brauronia on the Acropolis. | |||||||||||||||||
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| Origin | Laconia, Ancient Greece | ||||||||||||||||
| Breed status | Extinct | ||||||||||||||||
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| Dog (domestic dog) | |||||||||||||||||
The Laconian (Greek: Λάκαινα, romanized: Laconicus), also known as the Spartan and the Castorian, is an extinct dog breed from Ancient Greece typically used for hunting.
History
[edit]The Laconian were dogs originating from Laconia, a region of Ancient Greece, famous for its city state, Sparta.
The Laconian were famed throughout the ancient world for their hunting skill and swiftness[1], and were widely depicted in classical sculptures, mosaics, gravestones and drinking cups[2]. They were famed for their hunting skills, with their speed, stamina and olfactory[3] tracking abilities often praised by contemporary writers, including Sophocles[4], Xenophon[3], Aristotle[5], Plato[6], Theophrastus[7], Oppian[8], Pollux[1], Horace[9], Claudian[10], Pliny the Elder[11], and Petronius[12].
Sub-types
[edit]Homer and other contemporary authors tended to classify dogs by function rather than breed, leaving some confusion as to the more particular characteristics of the breed[13].
The Laconian were often further divided into two sub-types: the larger Castorian (Greek: καστορίδες, romanized: kastorithes) and the smaller fox-like Vulpine (Greek: ἀλωπεκίδες, romanized: a̓lopekíthes).
The Castorian's name was derived from the myth that they were bred from hounds that Castor was said to have received from Apollo[1][3]. The Vulpine's name was derived from the erroneous belief that they were the result of a cross between a dog and a fox[1][3][5].
However some confusion between the two types exists as different authors at time contradict themselves. For example, Xenophon made the distinction between the two subtypes (kastorithes and a̓lopekíthes)[3] while Pollux states that 'Castorian’ dogs are actually a̓lopekíthes dogs, as Castor himself was supposed to cross dogs with foxes and thus create a new breed[1].
Denison Bigham Hull[14] theorized that both observations may be true if either (1) kastorithes and a̓lopekíthes have mixed and over time they became indistinguishable, or (2) one of the breeds became extinct.[15]
Characteristics
[edit]The Laconian was frequently praised for its swiftness, particularly when contrasted with the more 'powerful' Molossian.[13]
They were often described as 'tawny'[9], typically either tan with white markings or black with tan markings.[3]
They were also well known for their general reproductive ability[5][11] compared to other contemporary species.
From artworks contemporary to the breed, it is often noted that they had a strong resemblance to modern day greyhounds[16].
Modern kennel club classification
[edit]
It is speculated that the Hellenic Hound is the modern day direct descendant to the Laconian[17]. Evidence[5][17] includes similar lifespans, litter sizes, colouring[18] and overall temperament.
Speculated Famous Laconian
[edit]
It has been speculated that Alexander the Great's favourite dog, Peritas, may have been a Laconian[19].
It is also strongly theorized that Odysseus' dog's Argos may have been a Laconian[5][13]. Laconian were described as the swiftess of its contemporaries and Homer's choice to name it Argos ("swift-footed", Homer's most common epithet for speed) may have been a contemporary allusion to Argos being a Laconian. Further evidence is provided by the specification that it had been used to hunt "wild goats, or deer, or hares"[20], less ferocious game typically hunted with Laconian hounds.
In A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Theseus brags, “My hounds are bred out of the Spartan kind"[21].
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ a b c d e Pollux, Onomasticon 5, 37
- ^ An athlete and his dog. (Museum of Fine Arts, Boston acc. No. 01.8038) Kylix interior; Brygos Painter, 500–450.
- ^ a b c d e f Xenophon, Cynegeticus 10.1
- ^ Sophocles, Ajax 8
- ^ a b c d e Aristotle, Historia Animalium 574A
- ^ Plato, Parmenides 128C
- ^ Theophrastus, Characters 21, 14
- ^ Oppian, Cynegetica 1, 396
- ^ a b Horace, Epistles 6, 5
- ^ Claudian, Stilicho 3, 302
- ^ a b Pliny the Elder, Historia Naturalis 10, 177–178
- ^ Petronius, Satyricon 2, 40
- ^ a b c Grout, James. "Dogs in Rome and Greece - Encyclopaedia Romana". penelope.uchicago.edu. Retrieved 2024-09-02.
- ^ Hull D.B. (1964), Hounds and Hunting in Ancient Greece
- ^ Anderson, J. K.. Hunting in the Ancient World, Berkeley: University of California Press, 1985. https://doi.org/10.1525/9780520349735
- ^ Johnson, Helen M. “The Portrayal of the Dog on Greek Vases.” The Classical Weekly, vol. 12, no. 27, 1919, pp. 209–13. JSTOR, https://doi.org/10.2307/4387846. Accessed 2 Sept. 2024.
- ^ a b "Greek Harehound Breed Guide - Learn about the Greek Harehound". Pet Paw. Retrieved 2024-09-02.
- ^ "FCI-Standard N° 214 - HELLINIKOS ICHNILATIS (Hellenic Hound)" (PDF). FEDERATION CYNOLOGIQUE INTERNATIONALE.
- ^ "The eccentric dog breeds that vanished". www.bbc.com. Retrieved 2024-09-02.
- ^ Homer. The Odyssey, Book 17, lines 319 and following.
- ^ Shakespeare, William. "A Midsummer Night's Dream - Act 4, scene 1 | Folger Shakespeare Library". www.folger.edu. Retrieved 2024-09-02.