Laconian
Statue of a hunting dog with Laconian characteristics found in the sanctuary of Artemis Brauronia on the Acropolis.
Other names	Λάκαινα Spartan Castorian Lacedaemonian Λακωνικοί Κύνες Lakonikoí Kýnes
Origin	Laconia, Ancient Greece
Breed status	Extinct
Traits Colour tan with white markings or black with tan markings Litter size up to 8
Dog (domestic dog)

The Laconian (Ancient Greek: Λάκαινα, romanized: Lakaina), also known as the Spartan and the Castorian, is an extinct dog breed from Ancient Greece typically used for hunting.

The breed originating in 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][3][4] They were famed for their hunting skills,^[5] with their speed, stamina and olfactory tracking abilities often praised by contemporary writers, including Pollux,^[1] Xenophon,^[5] Sophocles,^[6] Aristotle,^[7] Plato,^[8] Theophrastus,^[9] Oppian,^[10] Horace,^[11] Claudian,^[12] Pliny the Elder,^[13] and Petronius.^[14]

The Laconian were often further divided into two sub-types: the larger Castorian (Greek: καστορίδες, romanized: kastorides) and the smaller fox-like Vulpine (Greek: ἀλωπεκίδες, romanized: alopekides).

The Castorian's name was derived from the myth that they were bred from hounds that Castor was said to have received from Apollo.^[5] 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][5][7][15]}

However some confusion between the two types exists. Xenophon explicitly make a distinction between the kastorides and alopekides^[5] while Pollux uses kastorides interchangeably with alopekides, since he claims that it was Castor himself who crossed dogs with foxes and thus create a new breed.^[1]

Denison Bigham Hull and other scholars^[16] noted this contradiction and theorized that both observations may be true if either 1. kastorides and alopekides interbred and, over time, became indistinguishable,^[5][17] or 2. one of the sub-types became extinct.^[16][18]

The Laconian was frequently praised for its swiftness, particularly when contrasted with the more 'powerful' Molossian.^[15]

They were often described as 'tawny',^[11] typically either tan with white markings or black with tan markings.^[5]

They were also well known for their general reproductive ability^[7][13] compared to other contemporary species.

It is speculated that the Hellenic Hound is the modern-day descendant to the Laconian.^[19] Both breeds have similar lifespans, litter sizes, colouring^[20] and overall temperament.^[7][21]

It has been speculated that Alexander the Great's favourite dog, Peritas, may have been a Laconian.^[22]

It is also strongly theorized that Odysseus' dog's Argos may have been a Laconian.^[7] Laconian were described as the swiftest 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",^[23] less ferocious game typically hunted with Laconian hounds.^[15]

In A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Theseus brags, “My hounds are bred out of the Spartan kind”,^[24] which is sometimes interpreted to be a reference to the Laconian breed.^[25]

• List of dog breeds
• List of extinct dog breeds
• Peritas
• Argos (dog)