The daily exchange. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1858-1861, 1859-04-14
BALTIMORE.
THURSDAY, APRIL IA, 1859.

10 eliminate
his countrymen, by attempting 10 revive III d
modified form, the ancient Olympic flames. But
this modern festival of Olympia IS not 10 oe heid at
Els in the Peoponnesus, on the banks OF the sa-
, ten Alnheus. and within the shadow of
Wourt Cronium The once glorious plain of Oym-
,;o whore twenty-five centuries ago, those famous
ines were celebrated, and from whence they de-
lived their name, is now sagnant and Shiny
marsh, The hills which girdled in the smiling
Landscape. as with natural amphitheatre, are no
longer clothed to their submits with dense growth
Of forest trees, whose eay recesses, and sun-hecked
aises, were the tabled haunts of the Sylvan Gods
but now, SCARED and rent by the storms of thou
sand years. stand rugged and bare-ft monuments
If dead Past. OF the throng of temples, affairs,
treasure-houses, and statues, which, cleaning out
from the midst of dense groves of olives, and sy
camores and palms, and silver popars, gave light,
and life, and beauty to the plain, thronged as it
was. on stated occasions, with myriads of visitors
and worshppers, nothing remains but few deli
cately sculptured fragments of the Great Temple of
Olvmpian JoyE. The gold and ivory statue of the
God-the master-work of PHIDAs-has long since
been swept away with the religion of which it was
the crowning symbol. Even the broad river AL
pheus which, at an earlier day, was studded with
small islands, so beautiful in their dewy freshness
apd verdure that the imaginative Greeks might
well have fancied them the homes of the water
uymphs, has been diverted from its original chan
mel, and now flows, shallow and sluggish through
the desolate valley, where the only flower that
blossoms in rank luxuriance is the thstle-like As
phode the most significant of all the flowers,
since it is the one which the ancient Greeks
planted on the graves of the loved and the lost
Yet many centuries before the Christian era, at
each recurrence of the national festival, the rocky
defles of the Peloponnesus were thronged wtheager
multitudes Archons, and Philosophers; Historians
and Poets; professional Athlete, merchants and ci
vilians strangers from the islands of the Egean
and from the colonies of Asia Minor from Africa,
Italy, and Gaul-a motley multitude on horse
back, in chariots, and on foot, some dressed in
the flowing robes, and others in the succinct gar
ments which marked the distinction of classes in
the elder day, but all converging from various
points upon the lovely plain of Olympia to wor-
ship in the temples, or to witness the SPORTS or
to listen TO the recital of the latest productions of
lyric and dramatic genius. Ii was owing 10 the
estimation in which the honors awarded in the
public games were held that the Greeks became a
nation of heroes, and the Greek type, the highest
type of manly beauty The Gymnasium was the
school Of art, where harmony and grace of mo-
ton were as sedulously studied, as exhibitions Of
muscular strength and activity, or the splendid
development of the physical frame. None bn
freemen could contend in the lists, and those only
among the latter Hho could swear that they hat
not been guilty of a sacrilegious act, and tina
they had spent the ten previous months in pre-
paratory exercises. During the progress of tn
games, the judges, robed in purple, occupied
conspicuous seats on one side of the Stadium, while
at the opposite side, on an altar of white marble
sat the priestesses of DEMETRI CHAMYNE-the onl,
women who were privileged to be present at tn
estival. In front of the judges, and distinguished
from the throng by the insignia of their office
stood the Heralds, whose duty it was to announce
the name of each candidate the prize for which h
proposed to contend and the place from whence h
came, and to proclaim the conquerors when tn
Jonsts were over. These ceremonies took place il
the sacred grove of Altis, and it was there, sur
rounded by temples, and fountains, and statues o
gods and heroes, the Judges distributed to eacl
victor that which he valued above all wealth.
crown of the wild olive. In the vast assembage
thus congregated together it needs stretch of the
Imagination to picture, in their day and genera
ton the presence of HERoDoTUs, the father of his
tory of SoLoN and LYcURGUs; of SOCRATES anl
his disciple ALCIBIADEs; of PERIcLEs and PLATO
and XENoPHoN and PNDAR; of EsCHYLUs and EuRr
PIDEs SoPHoCLEs and ARIsToPHANEs; and Of hun
dreds of others whose names have become world
famous. But the Greeks of the present day NJ
more resemble their heroic predecessors than d.
the people of the Italian peninsula their stalwar
progenitors, the world-conquering Romans. The
no longer speak the language of DEMosTHENEs an
PLATO, build rare temples of the marble {
Pentelicus, in honor of PALLAs ATHENE, or c
Olympian JovE. For long years the Mosler
crescent flashed defantly subject race
amid the glorious ruins of the AcropoliS
and, even now, Bavarian holds hi
royal court in the city where PERIoLF
once ruled and SOCRATES taught. The oil
Greek passion for the beautiful has died on
the people themselves have degenerated, an
instead of nation of warriors, poets, artists, an
logicians, we behold robbers among the hills an
traders in the cities, who reputed to be IL
keenest at bargain, and the least scrnpulous
their dealings, of all the merchants of the Levan
Not among these willy and soft-voiced Moreote
and Fanariotes, or among the modern inhabitan
of Roumelia, or Albania, are now to be -four
men capable of drawing the bow of ULYSSES, Or
launching the discus of AJAX LEBANON. In Il
new Olympic games that are about to be ms
tuted at Athens, no boxer will fight with t
rawhide cestus with its bosses of metal, which t
ancient Athlete were accustomed TO draw, as
gauntlet over their hands, and such as EPE
wore, when, with one mighty blow, he crush
the jaws of EuRYALus before the walls of Tro
EvANGELIs ZAPPAs, merchant of Bucharest
providing for the re-estabshment of the OlymI
games has wisely considered the altered condti
of things The games as of old, are to be ce
brated every fourth year; but they are design
to illustrate modern progress, rather than
revive ancient proves. There are to be meetin
of sauans at which the merits of philosophi'
works, produced during the previous Oympiad, {
to be discussed, and prizes awarded for the be
There are to be exhibitions of choice cattle a
agricultural products, and in the Stadium, gymn
tic exercises-for all of which, prizes in mon
are to be awarded but those who excel in feats
strength and agility are to receive, in addition
laurel crown. An exposition of manufactur
goods is likewise to take place, and the Festival
to be brought to a close, on the evening of I
fourth Sunday, by the representation of nj
drama with musical interludes, of Greek compo
ton, upon which the members of the Academy
to pass judgment. Such are to be the Oym
Games of the present AEGEAN industrial exh
ton and an agricultural fair, combined with ho1
races on the course, and foot races, wrestling a
boxing in the Stadium. The spirit of utility
superseded the spirit of romance. 1t is, perha
as well that it should be so, for the modern Gree
worship far different Deity than was represent
by the Phidian image of ivory and gold, and Sc
to win far other conquests, and by far differ'
means than those which the ancient poets have i
mortalized.
FROM RIVER La PLATE DIRECT
Captain Oliver of bark Kate, from Montev id