LACONIA, or LACONICA, a country on the southern parts of Peloponnesus, having Argos and Arcadia on the north, Messenia on the west, the Mediterranean on the south, and the bay of Argos at the east. Its extent from north to south was about 50 miles. It was watered by the river Eurotas. The capital was called Sparta, or Lacedæmon: (See LACEDÆMON and SPARTA.) The brevity with which the Laconians always expressed themselves is now become proverbial; and by the epithet of Laconic, we understand whatever is concise, and is not loaded with unnecessary words.