Before 1000 B.C., Greek noblemen purchased greyhounds from Egyptian merchants and this was proven by Homer, a Roman writer, in 800 B.C. In his book entitled The Odyssey, the main character returned home after being gone over twenty years and his greyhound named Argus was the only one to recognize his long lost owner. Art and coins from Greece depict short-haired hounds virtually identical to modern greyhounds; making it fairly certain that this breed has changed very little since 500 B.C. Around 325 B.C., a hound named Peritas reportedly accompanied the monarch Alexander the Great on his military campaigns.

The Greek Gods were often portrayed with greyhounds—such as Hecate, the goddess of wealth. The god Pollux, the protector of the hunt was also depicted with greyhounds. The Romans obtained this breed either from the Greeks or the Celts. Roman authors such as Ovid and Arrian refer to them as Celt Hounds. Some of their deities were accompanied by greyhounds. Diana (the Roman version of Artemis) always hunted with her hounds as the picture above portrays.

In 1916, Howel the King of Wales, associated the killing of a greyhound to be as grave as killing a human being, and both crimes were punishable by death. During the Middle Ages, greyhounds nearly became extinct due to the famine which plagued Europe. They were saved by clergymen who protected and bred them for the nobility. From this point on, they came to be considered as the hounds of the aristocracy. In 1014, the King of England enacted the Forest Laws which stated that only noblemen could own and hunt with greyhounds.