Page 39 - The Sloughi Review - Issue 6
P. 39
T H E S L O U G H I R E V I E W 3 9
Figure 18: Sloughi as livestock guardian © Mangelsdorf Figure 19: Laconian dog, Munich, Glyptothek © Th.Liedtke
In the case of the oases with their farmed The Greeks used Egyptian and Sicilian
areas, it is conceivable that Sloughis could Sighthounds as the main dog breeds
be used as a ‘pest deterrent’ and livestock other than the Laconians and Libyans
protection dog (Fig.18). (Sachs, p. 68).
In Xenophon’s “Cynegeticus”, Chapters III According to Xenophon’s breed and
and IV, two dog types are described: the hunting description, the Laconians are
Spartan Castorian (or Laconian, fig.19) a closest to the hunting dogs of
harrier particularly suitable for the hunting Mediterranean origin, not to Sighthounds.
of hares on foot, and the Alopekis (33) (or There were also imports from Libya, that
Vulpine), which was presumed to be is North Africa in ancient Greek.
descended from a cross with a fox.
Unfortunately, the description of “Libyan
With the superior Castorian, care was to dogs” is missing. These could have been
be taken that they were not to be bred with Sloughis or its predecessors; however,
other dog types in order to maintain the there are also indications that it was the
desired hunting characteristics; the so- Basenji type, which can be found in the
called mixed strain, was only partially Mediterranean breeds. The Laconians
suitable for hunting. likely resembled a hunting dog such as
the Lagonikos, Tis Rodu, Kypriakos
In a short Chapter VII, Xenophon writes Lagonikos and Kritikos Lagonikos (Cretan
about dog breeding, but only to a brief Hound (34), i.e. dogs currently present in
extent, there is no detailed guidance on Rhodes, Cyprus and Crete (Figs. 20, 21).
breeding.
