Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1873-03-19
The Sport IS of Greek ana Roma =,
orrrhs
BY EDITH d. soMNER.

BY EDITH D. S0NNER.
| know many Of my readers would be
interested IN knowing how Greek and
Roman youths amused themselves, what
toys they used, and in what sports they
engaged. Tie whip.top was faYorite
with GEeeian bows q long while ago, and
u IS mentioned In Virgils writings. As
tor marbles, Augustus spent many hours
IN playing with them a game called taw,
in company with little Moorish boys, only
they made useof nuts instead Of agates,
which werethen unknown. Agesllaus, a
Lacedemoniaa king, was found by the
Persian ambassadors engaged in playing
at horse with his children, substituting a
stick for the animal, and prancing with
it around the room. Socrates, the wise
man Of Greece, did the same for one of his
pupils, at which Alcibiades laughed at
HIM. Greoian boys were very familiar
with childish game Of chance, called
even Or odd, which consisted in one per-
son c0ncealihg in his hand d number OF
pieces, and calling out even or odd? IF
any one guessed right he took the pieces.
Paper kites were used by Chinese bows
long, long ago, and the paper wind. mill
is five hundred years old Hunt tie fox
was faYorlte game over two hundred
years ago, and leap-frog is mentioned in
Shakspeare's time. Hot cookies, in
which one player kneels, and laying his
head IN the lap Of another, guesses who
struck him,was well known to the ancients.
Horace, the old Latin poet, wrote about
children building little houses, and ioi4ing
mice to diminutiye wagons. The Greek
boys had a game something like hide and
seek, but with little variation. The
game Of hand-bal is as old as the destruc-
ton of Troy, and the first ball is said to
have been made by Greek lady, who
presented tito Nausea, the daughter of
king, and taught her how to nse it. Lon
don school-bbys i've hundred years ago
played ball IN the fields on holidays. and
frequently put horse beans or peas inside.
to make Q rafting whea they kicked It.
The most ancient game Of ball with bats
was golf or handy ball, in which holes
were made-ln-the ground, and he who
drove the bail in the holes with the fewest
number OF strokes gained the victory.
The Greek children played TOO at leap.
trog; one seated on the ground, was sur |
rounded by his comrades, who hit hin, !
until he could catch one Of cnem, then the |
child caught took his place, and was
leased N the same manner. AMONG the
ancient Britons hunting was a fayorife
pastlme with boys, since Alfred the Great |
at the age of eleven, was an expert and
active hunter, and ezcelled in all the
branches Of that art. When he became /
9lder, he was educated to train and fv
hawks, which was then very popular as
an amusement IN England. and here |
VIII relate little story of a hawk. which
J THINK will interest you. A young man
OF high rank, named Lothbroc, LIVING in
denmark, was amusing himself one dav
with his hawk, near the sea. when the
olrd tell into the water. Lothbroc. in or
uer to rescue her, got. a little boat and
foWed out 70 lake her up, but before he
could return a storm arose, and he was
pfigen over to the coast OF England, where
ne ne iahdea alta town called ReaIham.
Inc Inh allltants OF the town carried him
. hIng Edmund, who, on hearing his
story, showed him great kindness. because
Q! MS skill IN flying hawks. Now the
KING airead y had native falconer. named
Beo1c, who became so iealous Of the
stranger that he murdered him and hid
inc BODY IN wood. Il was discovered.
however, by a little dog, and the king, to
PUNISH the murderer, sent him to yea in n
boat, without mast, oars, or rudder. sun.
posing that ne would be drowned. Instead |
OF that, however, he arrived safe in Den |
mark, where he represented that KING
hl91g Edmund had destroyed Lothhroe
and ne raised an army with which he re-
turned to England and dethroned the
KING. And all this occurred from the fall
ing ola hawk into the water.