Since the publication of Walther Kolbe’s Inscriptiones Graecae V.1: Inscriptiones Laconiae et Messeniae (Berlin 1913), there has been no comprehensive collection of the inscriptions of Laconia. That major desideratum is now partially fulfilled by Nicole Lanérès’ excellent republication of 201 inscriptions from both Laconia and Messenia dating from the seventh to third centuries BC. The work begins with the concise yet comprehensive introduction tracing the history of research on Laconian inscriptions, and an introduction to the Laconian dialect and the palaeography of the Laconian script (1–11). Lanérès divides the development of the script into three distinct phases: an initial epichoric phase from the seventh century onwards, the introduction of Ionian elements (e.g. the introduction of omega and the use of eta for the aspirant) at some time between 375 and 350 BC and a long transitional phase from the end of the fourth century to the reign of Nabis, all helpfully summarized in a chronological table of characters (9–10). The introductory comments on the Laconian dialect are supplemented by a short appendix describing in greater detail the consonantal and vocalic systems of Laconian (311–16). Lanérès is keen to advise the reader on the problems of effectively dating Laconian inscriptions. Archaic features, such as the use of heta () for the aspirant, continue well into the fourth century. Many of the objects also lack detailed if any archaeological context, and so palaeographical observations cannot be supported by archaeological ones (7–8). In truth, these introductory elements could have been three times longer, though they establish the basics of the subject and Lanérès’ approach to it. The selection of her chronological focus is well-justified. She argues that the influence of koinē from the third century onwards raises the problem of the survival of dialect forms, their evolution and their artificial reconstitution (hypercorrection) in the Imperial period (3).

The catalogue is the book’s core (13–310), arranged geographically, and then further subdivided by site and inscription type. Alongside those texts already published in IG V.1, the work includes the significant and welcome addition of the material reported in SEG and BÉ, some of which has only been published fully in modern Greek in Horos or Grammateion. The volume therefore gives a much greater sense of what we can learn from Laconian epigraphy. Lanérès’ editions are thorough and comprehensive, referring the reader to previous editions and discussions. Her commentaries are concise and linguistic in nature. Well-studied inscriptions are republished with appropriate commentary, such as the Damonon stele (no. 23), the Spartan treaty with the Erxadieis (no. 25) and the Spartan ‘War Fund’ (no. 85). Lanérès also includes borderline cases, including an edition of a monetary deposit at Athena Alea in Tegea by a certain Xouthias (no. 182). There is debate among scholars as to whether Xouthias was in fact a Spartiate, or even a Lacedaemonian, but Lanérès argues that the text shows influence of the Laconian dialect (277). There are new readings, such as that of Deinis’ dedication of a bronze aryballos at the Menelaion (no. 125). Lanérès suggests that in a central and heavily oxidized portion of the aryballos, instead of Ϝ̣ϵ̣λ̣έν̣α̣ι̣, we should read one of two epithets of Menelaus in the dative, either [διο]τ̣ρ̣ϵ[φής] or [Ἀ]τ̣ρ̣ϵ[ΐδα]ι. She also reads an extra iota at the end of the text, suggesting that Menelaus is in the dative rather than the genitive (213–14). Lanérès therefore persuasively argues that this is a dedication to Menelaus rather than Helen. Several inscriptions republished here will hopefully receive greater scholarly attention, such as the interesting dedication to Eukleia by the Κονοhουρέϵς (no. 124) and Hippansidas’ monument to Alea to commemorate his time in the gerousia (no. 48), to select just two personal favourites. In terms of completeness, there is little that the author has missed. One notable absence is an additional inscribed haltēr possibly dedicated to Athena Asia and discovered in excavations of the Spartan Theatre in 2008 (for the ed. pr. see R.K. Pitt, ‘An inscribed jumping-weight from the Spartan acropolis’, Horos 26–31 (2013–2019), 127–32).

The volume is neatly edited with few typos. The majority of the inscriptions are published alongside drawings of the texts. These are a useful guide to readings, though do not always give a sense of the relationship between an object and its inscription (e.g. nos 44, 114, 148–50). Few photographs are published in the text (see fig. 95, p. 174). Whilst there are obvious commercial and practical limitations on the inclusion of photographs, the inclusion of a greater number would have done much to support Lanérès’ excellent scholarship. In short, this is a welcome and valuable addition to the study of Laconian history, epigraphy and linguistics, and it will be a standard reference work for many years to come. Anyone interested in Sparta should make room for it on their bookshelves.