THIS PAGE IS A WORK IN PROGRESS AND I WILL ADD MORE AS I FIND IT
The Italian greyhound is the smallest of the sighthound family ( hounds that hunt by sight) One of the oldest perhaps the oldest breed family of dogs.
The history of Italian greyhounds goes back for centuries. It is thought to be itself a recognized breed 500 BC, thou it had not picked up it's name that they are known by now until the Renaissance. It may be even older then that if you feel, like I do, that it is a down sized Greyhound of old . Toy sized Greyhounds even then have been proven. If so they are then they share the history of one of the most noble breeds that ever lived. And this is where I'll start. Over many years I have read all I could on Greyhounds' and Italian greyhounds' history. Some have been proven by artifices, some are stories that have been written down over the ages and others are just thoughts that some believe.
The Greyhound is known to have lived with humans for almost 8000 years. Excavations at Catal-Huyuk in Turkey have unearthed a sanctuary decorated with hunting scenes of long legged refined muzzled and deep chested dogs, dating back to 6000 BC. These where the first purebred dogs and progenitors of the Greyhound and Italian greyhounds that we recognize today.
The Greyhound was very useful through out history not only for hunting for food but as modal of grace and beauty for many who worked with the arts. Their status in ancient Egypt surpassed anything before or since. Anyone who killed a Greyhound was killed himself. Many Greyhounds and Toy sized Greyhounds where mummified, adorned with necklaces, other jewelry and buried with their pharaohs.
Antef-aa II, Sesotris, Tutankhamen, Thutmose III, Amenhotep II, Ramses VI and Queens Hatshepsut.
The mummies may today be seen in the Cairo Museum
Set (sometimes called Seth) an Egyptian god, at times took a Greyhound form with a forked tail. Set, the Greyhound, represented Upper Egypt as Horus, the falcon, did Lower Egypt in the Delta Nile. Because of the sacred association of Greyhounds, only royalty could keep them and they where treated as family members. Even carried on the backs of camels. The birth of a Greyhound was only second to the birth of a son. And when one died that royal family would morn by shaving their heads, wailing and fasting. Greyhounds where never sold but may be given to only honored guests of foreign lands
The greyhound is the only breed that is mentioned in the bible that was not referred to as "unclean" or "pariah"
Proverbs 30, verse 29-31
"there be three things which go well, yea.Which are comely on going: A lion, which is strongest among beast and turneth not away from any: A greyhound: a he-goat also."
According to Egyptologist James Henry breasted In 1475 BC Queen Hatshepsut sent four greyhounds to the land Punt (now Somalia) and in exchange she was given 31 living myrrh trees. electrum, eye makeup, ebony, ivory shells, a living panther, panther skins 3,300 small cattle and large rings of gold in balances ten feet high. For these where highly valued and rare.
Queen Cleopatra was known to have toy sized Greyhounds.
As time went on Greyhounds traveled all the major trade routs ending up in places such as Anatolia, Bactria, Parthia, Afghanistan and many others.
One being Greece.
Aristotle in 350 BC wrote about a breed he called a Laconia, believed by some to the Greyhound.
Homer in 800 BC wrote of a Greyhound named Argo in the story/poem The Odyssey.
The Greek historian Xenophon (487 -433BC) wrote a book about hunting dogs Kynegetikos, the first treaties ever written on them. He had Greyhounds himself. His favorites where named Hippokantauros, meaning The Centaur and Horme, mean Dash. He referred to the Greyhounds as Celtic dogs, as they where kept by the Celtic tribes in Asia Minor, most likely called Galacia now in western Turkey. In time the tribes and their Greyhounds moved though Germany, France and then into Ireland.
There are records at this time that many of the well to do families kept small "house greyhounds" also called "table greyhounds".
Alexander the Great (356-323 BC) owned many hunting and war dogs but his favorite was a Greyhound Perita imported from Gaul. His beloved Perita died when he took on an elephant in the battle of Gaugamela. The brave dog was given a state funeral and a city named for him with a statue in the city's square.
The Persians traveled with their dogs as well and the Greek historian Herodotus reported that there where so many Greyhounds of King Xerxes that "no one could tell their number."
In Greek mythology the Greyhound stood out beyond any other breed of dogs.
The Greyhound was the favorite of Hecate, the goddess of wealth and the underworld and is often portrayed with them. Pollux, the protector of the hunt if also often seen with his Greyhound named Leda.
The best known story is the one of the hunter Actaeon. Who happen to come across the Goddess Artemis, goddess of the hunt, bathing. Artemis in anger turns him into a stag who was then killed by his own 48 Greyhounds. Their names are still known to us.
Alce (strength,) Amarynthos, Asbols (shoot), Banos , Boreas, Canache (Ringwood) Chediatros, Cisseta, Corran (cropped) Cyllo, Draco (dragon) Dromas (the courser) Dromios (seize) Echnobas, Eudromas (runner), Harpies (tear), Inchoate (tracer), Labors (furious), Lacana (lion), Lachne (glossy) Lacon, Lampos (shining one), Lelaps (hurricane), Leucos (gray), Lyncea, Machimos (boxer), Melamp (black), Malachite (black haired), Melanea, Menelea, Molossos, Napa (wolf sired), Microphones (fawn killer), Docudrama (swift), Oresitrophos (mountain born), Oribasos (mountain ranger), Pachtos (think skinned),
Pamphagos (hungry), Pomenis (leader), Pterelas (winged), Stricta (spot), Theravadas (tamer), Theron (savage face), thoos (swift) Urania (heavenly one)
The Romans kept dogs for hunting, war and working. It was common then to divide dogs in those groups. Some how the charm and beauty of the toy sized Greyhound justified its existence in an otherwise practical age. In fact there is a theory that Cave Canem (Beware of the dog) was actually cautioning people not to step on the toy Greyhound. Julius Caesar once wondered if Roman ladies had give up children in favor of lap dogs . More then likely history suggests that the toy Greyhounds becoming popular due to Queen Cleopatra having them. For she had "won the heart of Rome"
In Rome it is known that Italian greyhounds where groomed, perfumed and rested on silk cushions.
There are so many relics, paintings and mosaics throughout Italy that it points as a possibility that they where the only known pet dog for centuries.
Some of the finest works of art are statues of Italian Greyhounds dated 2 AD and are now kept in the Vatican Museum. We know that they where also popular in Pompeii since some are in cased in volcanic ash from Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD
Due to the popularity of toy sized Greyhounds during the Italian Renaissance the name "Italian" was acquired and they became know as Italian Greyhounds.
Italian greyhounds where used in many of the most loved and well known works of art.
ther well know people though out history who have loved this breed just to name a few, are
Mary Queen of Scots; Queen Anna of Austria; Mary Beatrice d'Este of Modena; Queen Anna of Denmark; Charles I; Queen Victoria, who had one named Eos, and had her portrait painted with him in her arms; Catherine the Great of Russia; Luscretia Borgia , the illegitimate daughter of Pope Alexander, was known as a black widow woman and had specially devised jeweled collars for her Italian Greyhounds that carried hidden poison.
and Fredrick the Great of Prussia who had as many a 90 Italian greyhound at one time. He would even take one of his favorites named Pompadour in to battles during the Seven Years War. He was the one who said "the more I know of men the more I love my dog" this was said about his Italian greyhounds.
SO AS YOU CAN SEE, WHEN YOU OWN AN ITALIAN GREYHOUND YOU OWN A BIT OF LIVING HISTORY.