Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1876-01-06
Ancient Athletic Games


Iers of ancient Greece in various attitudes,
offensive and defensive. Copies of these
prints are in this city. One of them repre-
sents two athletes clasping each others
wrists, preparatory to securing frmer
hold The two men are represented in the
same attitude as that assumed by Christol
and Miller on the occasion of their first
exhibition in this city. Classical history
contains many references to the names
and deeds of some OF the more famous of
these wrestlers, and painters and poets
were employed in celebrating their Prov
ess. But it is to Pindar that the world is
indebted for the best descriptions Of the
four great festivals of the Greeks. In his
odes Pindar not only celebrated the place
where the victory was won, but intro
duced beautiful episodes, describing the
greatness of the heroes, the dignity of
their characters and the glory Of the sew
eral Republics where they fourished. Of
all the Grecian festivals, the Olympian
games were the most prominent; with the
Romans the same credit is given the Cir
censian games, established by Romulus,
at the rape of the Sabines. The first were
originally observed B. G. 1853, but were
soon after neglected, and were not renewed
until the year B. G. 964. This revival
forms celebrated epoch in Grecian his
tory, and is the beginning of the Olympi-
ads. Thus the Olympian games served
the Greeks just as the Pythian games
served as an epoch to the people Of Del
phi, the Nem9an games to the Argives
and Arcadians, and the Isthmian games
to the Corinthians and to the inhabitants
of the Peloponnesian Isthmus The two
last were, however, but ofshoots, so to
speak, of the parent stem. Fer fifty
Olympiads only one person superintended
the games; after that two were appointed.
In the 103d Olympiad the number was in
creased to twelve, but was subsequently
reduced to ten. These superintendent were
obliged solemnly to swear that they would
act impartially, and not take any brides
from the athletes. In the games were OK
hibited wrestling, boxing, running, leap
ing and the throwing of the QUOT Be
sides these there were horse and chariot
races, and also contests in poetry, elo-
quence, painting and sculpture. For a
long time women were not permitted to
appear at the games, but in later years
this Ia was repealed, and the crown of
victory was often awarded by one of the
gentler sex. The preparations for the ath-
letic exercise were great No person was
permitted to enter the list if lie had not
regularly exercised himself tea months
before in the public gymnasium. No un-
fair dealings were allowed, and in wrest-
ling, whoever attempted to bride his adj
versary in order to gain fall was subject
to severe fine. The only reward which
the victor obtained was crown of olive
or of pine. This small and trItiing re-
ward stimulated courage, endurance, dig
nifty and virtue, and was more highly
priced than would have been great treas
ures These games, which were observed
every fifth year, were introduced into Italy
in the year B. G. 228, by the first Roman
ambassadors sent to Athens and COrinth
The Pythian games were originally cele-
brated once in every nine years, but after
ward on the second year of every Olym-
piad. 1t is said that the gods themselves
were among the first combatants; but ac-
coriing to most authors the first prizes
offered were won by lebanon, armor-
bearer to Hercules, in wrestling; Pollux,
in boxing; Castor, his twin brother, in
horse racing, and Calais, another one of
the argonauts, in running. In the Neme-
an games the contests, both athletic and
equestrian, were of similar kind. They
were celebrated in the first and third
year of every Olympiad, and served as
an era to the archives and the inhab-
itants of the surrounding country
It is noteworthy that it was near where
these games were celebrated that Hercules
killed the Nem9an lion. The Campus
Martius-so called because dedicated to
Mars-was the place where the Romans
enjoyed themselves in athletic sports
This was large plain at Rome, without
the walls of the city, where the young men
performed their exercises, and learned to
wrestle, to box, to throw the cestus, hurl
the javelin, ride a horse, drive chariot,
etc. 1t was adorned with statues, columns,
arches and porticos, and on account of its
pleasant situation was frequented by large
numbers of the citizens The games in
the circus were equally celebrated for
leaping, wrestling, throwing the quot and
iavelin, races on foot as well as in
chariots and boxing. This latter ceIebra-
ton continued five days, beginning on the
18th of September. One of the greatest
wrestling contests ever reported was the
one between Ulysses and Ajax. The poet
Homer describes the event in his Had.
The struggle continued for some time, and
was witnessed by many thousands of
spectators, including the army which had
besieged Troy. Finally Achilles, who
was acting as referee, babe them cease
their efforts, and both were crowned as
victors. Ambiguous, son of Minos and
Pasiphae, was famous for his skill in
wrestling. He oyercame every antagonist
at Athens, and became such a favorite
4Iay 10 Al,