, 1876-01-17

nero feniales.
ANCIENT ATHLETIC GAMES.
Sports OF aracl<s a.nt iso,unns-vrest-
Iis2 ny E'rnctac1u Among tho Heroes
oh Antiquity.
.sep rors Tim... ...-
The prominence given 10 wrestling and kindred
athletic Aports iu iIlis civ OF late IL unusually
Rtca:. Tho particular kind of mnlou!ar exclc,ss
which seems to ba nost popular ia 6Frco-Isnman
wrestling. It IL 10 calls1 because Of ita being
| almost Identical With the wrestling lndu1.ed n
" s'e a'cloats long before tao birth uf Clsiss.
~ th = similarity th:rn Is no room for doubt
pTlusa, naalu many Luulrcd ycAys ago. no still
| II e1iAtoh:e, showing tho wrcs.Iers of hncloat
tfdeco tu vsttpls attitudes. offensive sud de-
iehhsVc. Cusa ii tliesa prints AIe III this CITY.
ona os thoi, rep1e4ents tSo asu1c:ea ciaspns
lrmcr tIo1d. Tho two muu are represented in
tho sam, attitude 10 that a.sunlod BY C,rls.oi
| and Miller OH tha OCCASION of their t,rBt oxhl-
blt'on III thla city. Classical history canIans
tnAby teforoucss t. Tho names and d.c1s OF nutno
! Of tho most famous Of thc:e w1e4tis.s ., and
tninters Aud rpets w&:e employed In ccl.hrat-
/! lnI their proUees. But It is to Findar that the
| World is ludsbtei for the beat descriptions Of tho
| four great festivals OF tao Greeks. In his odes
1ndAr hcs onls celebsascd tue placo shuro tho
i victory NAB gop, but insroduceu beautiful cpl.
sodct descr .b'n5 tho greasusss ol Ills hovoc, the
| eayer-l Eepubl.ca uLors thor tourtshcd.
0f Ill tic f,1oclAn fessi.ala. tic Olrmpian
! gaulcs were the mort prominent; NTH tho llo.
i m7ns tbs sa,no credit IL Eistn the ClrcesIaan
i gsmts, ostauInned ty komul'ts. at the tape ot
tue 6aulneS. Tho frs: wcra Originally obsesved
4, u, G. l45j, but we're boou after neglected. and
! Wtta not renewed unt,I t3 tho Tcas u. Z. ssl.
Iais. tagi1sl ferns celebrated spuch 10
/ HrosIan history. an1 le tho beginning Of Tho
tho Greoss Just as tie tysdjan. lasaes served
| NJ Al cloeh to tho people Of Delphi.
tho Semean gsmeA to tho Assivea aud
Aread.aus, and the lstAn'an games to shc Cor
i ues1an isthtnus. Tue TWO last wcre, however,
tu: o1Bhoo.Y. 40 to speaG. ct the parent stem.
Eur fasty Oiympihds onlT one pcrsoa supor'n-
. tended tue gaMes; after that two wcra appoints
creased to tselve, tu:w hnotc lueally rcducai
to ten. Inese su.erlutsnle,,s ~crc obliged
aolemuiy 10 swear that they woul4 a4t Impartial
y, End .i,. uot t'ke Aay e''Dss rom
4ibted weasl:ns, boxing, running. earinc.
and tho THROWN. OF the Yuolt. Besidcs lheso
tllsse were hofse aud chariot Eacss. ana also con-
tests III poetry, cloquance. painting. ant sculp'
| ture. For long t4lue women w1rs not porEE-
tod to appear At tho sames. but III later yrara
this lar Nhs repek ed, tul Tho crown or victory
| was often aaA;de1 by ono uf tic gentle sex. The
preparations for the athletic exercises great.
ho had cot regularly e1crslscd huuseu tcu
| months teto1e III tho public G,mna-
Hlum. Nc unfair dealings were allowed,
aud III Nreatlng,. whoever attempted ~
| b.tbs biz adversary Ia orIer 10 gain d f4l!, mas
subJccl to \ styers iiue. Tho oIiy reward wnsch
tue rlctor obt4inc1 TlR crown OF olive or OF
p'ns. This Hma!i snu tzifiag reward at!mula.ed
oluta age. alldurAncs. dignity, and yIrne, aad "as
mora highly priced than Would haYo bean great
treasures. Tho contestants in wrestling AMI
il bo4InG Te1o cutlttl; nude utltil woman, dis
gn!sed in uala appare], was diecoyoted to
bc prc..ni. This was Caliita:ira, nifo OF
it- a.
accompanied her .on ri.idprus 10 III.
Olympic samcs When Piaidorus WAS declared
yirsci sLo discovered her xoI through e1cesa oi
10y, and was a,rcst:j. Tho peo4,.y MAS death.
aud saw wAs ,as.ed compelling wresslerA AMI
hoxets 10 drsas themselves fr1m tue wa.ss dowl.
TAese gsmes which moro observed erery tilh
] year, "ero introduced into 1tuly in The yasr d.
Atl,cus and Co1,hth. Tho pytAlau galn.a nato
originally colebsascd onco in every ni1o years,
but afterwards on Tho second year
Of every Uympikd. Il is sail tlat tho Eola
III: according to taoss writer's the trts p.szcs VI
! fotcd ncra won by lebanon. arm. bEArcr 10
{ Hercules, In Wrestling PoIla1, iu euzlug !:
Css'o:, lis twin br !,heT, In horBe-sscine and
| Ca:1iz, another one Of tho Acsonauts, ln rim
nthg. 1o tic SenrAu games The contests, both
a:hictic aud c1icsir'au. vero OF similar and.
Ihey wero ccleo1aitcl III tue tisrt mad tmrI year
ef erasy u!ymr!Al. aud herycd 10 an era to Tho
AICH!fGB RuN @uuhl IAl.La CI LAo tuifUHJlQ-
tug country. l.. IL notu~or.hy tia: It was
nezF unuFo sh:ss Eaues weso celebrated taat
Hercules killed tho Noni,rau lion. Tho CAaipu.
AlArtius-so called becau,o dcdtcatoi 10 Mats
was the pIaoe wnass thc Ron'ana cnjossa .haa-
sc!yes IN athletic storts. TnIA Wts large plum
Ct N0N,c, .itl3ut the nails OF the CITY, nAtra
1he young ,arn Io.foriucd thctr exercises, a',d
learucl u Trestle. 10 Eox, Ia th ow tho Genius,
hull tho jareln, rias horse, dr1vs Chariot,
t.r. II N!ia naorue1 With etatues, columns.
srshas. and porticos AMI Ga account Of ia
p!s4sant eituat;on w1s troquontsd by largo
num5e:s OF tho cil1zcra Ihe games In tue
circus wtrs eauat. celebrated fot lca.nn=,
1 wrestling, throwing tho Huoit nuu 1aTe}In. RACES
Oil foot AZ wa1l ~ III ctar!uts. aud to1!n,. This
| ltttar cel1hratlou cout.nucl Ayo da.e, buGtnntus
on tho 15t4 ot aeplsnu.r.
oao Of tho gtoat3at wros.|iu7 coutesls ovcr
ralor:cu wAa tho ono between Ulysses nu4
Ajax: Tho poet Homer describes tho event il,
his Had. The struggle continued for sons
tn,c. aud nas witnesnol by u'apy thousands
Of spectators, lnc.uul,S tLc army WHICH lad
bcselEed Ir"y. Finally Acl,llles who vss acting
| az rafo.co, ta1o thom cesse tAalr efforts. aud
both uero crowned A. sictofa. Ambiguous, a
sou Of MiuoS ana lasiphao. Naa famous for i,is
Hk1li in nlcs,ttu., lie ossrcaalo every snsaGou-
u: 9. Athens, and became such . 'avoFts viii
t!,a rto2!a Inst Tho King xrow Jealous. aud
cautud h,s, ~ 10 rut In dsath. Ths ursBtIet's
father declared War against the hlue to revenge
tho utath at his "on: and Eca:o was at longsh
established on condition thu. seyou boys and
Hersa gsls should to sent yaasly from
Ashens to Crato 10 b. dsvuurod by the Mln-
o!nur. It WAS lhesaus who delivered h.B
country from this shtmo'u! t.ihuto by Ailliag tho
monbler. Ineoeus, Who nka himself nktied In
II! tue athletic gatuaa. subsequently established
rules for tho government OF Nrsstlcra, anl which
are cenapsrat1sely tho aano % tLoRo now in usc.
Another glcAt urcstlcE was Eelea, who WAS born
dumb Ul him Is IL ehil that seeing somo foul
! wrestling IN @ contest, he broke tla slripR which
hell bis tongue through the desire Of tsoukiny
II, offender and aver alter spoke With ease.