The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1879-05-08
COmbnts a along tho .Ancionts.

The ancicnts were very fond Of tcstn.
the yaor and dcXterity of wrcstlcrs i'm Tn,
arena. The combatants were selected from
among the most brave and skilful men, an,
the Judges who held the victorious garands
were persons of the highest rank and intcg
rity. These combats, however, were pcc,l.
liarly fcrocious. The parties fought with
their fists, as do our prize fighters; but they
! frequently introduced balls Of iron and
stone, with which they often struck fatal
blows. They introduced the Ccstus which
was heavy glove or gauntlet of thick
leather, studded with nails which were
equally destructive. .ltlian speaks of a
Crclan Pancratist who dropped down dead
while they were taking him to the Judges
to receive the garland. Another prize
| fighter, having received blow in the
mouth which knocked in all his teeth, swa-
| lowed them, together with the blood that
followed, to conceal from his antagonist an
injury which smight have induced HIM to
continue tho contest. There arc many in
stances i'll ancient times Of fcrocious bravery,
which at the present day would be discard
cd with Indignation a brave champion
who had been twice crowned at tho Olym-
pic games, fought and conquered all who
entered the liSts against him, except tho las,
onc-a man 81 powerful frame, who rushed
upon him, seized him by the throat, trip
ping up his heels at the same time, and
actually strangicd him on the spot but ere
he expired bya violent effort hc broke off
the toe OF his adversary, which gave him
such pain that ho died instantly, and the
Judges ordered his dead body to be crowned
with the palm of victory. 1t was the fash
ion for the Roman ladies to attend these
exhibitions, and now and then they would
step into tho lists and have sct-t0 them
selves. Tacit,ls and ,Juvcnal both sneak of
it; and although the Roman ladies on these
occasions were not as thnly clad rs our
model artistcs, yet they were dressed like
The Samnites-wearing a shield calculated
TO protect the breast and shoulders, and
growing more narrow at the bottom, in
order to be used with greater convenience.
III was during the reign Of Nero and Domi-
tan that those worthcs introduced female
gladiators, and Nero exhibited in one show
four hundred senators and six hundred
equcstrians These may not have been
called duels, but savage practices; and if
ladies were insultcd in those times, they
procured no champions to fight their battles,
but rcdrcsscd their wrongs themselves.
Nevertheless, tritiing wrongs abusive lan-
guagc, giving the lie, or striking n blow
were not in those times, as they are at this
day, considered just grounds of mortal
combat by duel. Judicial trials by combat
were common in the barbarous ages, par,
.ca"I''''.r NE ,1,sid:ctalna or "lhc Dog or
Montargls," :" b,,v III are not acquainted with
its origin. Tho fight between Macarc and the
dog belonging to Aubry took place in 1871,
Fifth was present when tho dog convicted
Al nf nj, DIR hxyn
ing him in the fight, and for this crime
Macairc was hanged. a curious trial by
battle took place in 626. Queen Cundbagc,
consort of the king of lombardy, cclcbra-
ted woman both for beauty and unimpcach-
able virtue, had some insolcnt proposals
made to her by an impcrtinont court-fly by
the name of Adalulf; but instead of hand
ing him over to the laws for punishment,
she mercifully banishcd him. In fit of
revenge he accused her to the king of hav-
ing lover, and that she intended to poison
him in order to marry that lover. The
king, blinded with rage, imnurcd the queen
in castle. AS she xas related to Clotairc,
king of the Francs, he demanded that she
should be tried by judicial contest. Ada
lulf was commanded to meet cousin Of
the queen, called Pithcn, who in the con-
test got Adalulf down and cut his throat,
which established the innocence of tho
queen. The clergy were also liable to trial
by battle; and Louis the Fat, in his charter
of the Abbey of St. Maur, admitted that tho
priests possessed this right. The bishop of
Angus ordered certain monks to maintain
their rights to tithcs by cudgcling each
other; but William the Conqueror would
not permit clerks of abbcys to fight without
the permission Of their diocesan Priests
in those times were good fencing masters,
and, as chaplains to the army, had fair
portion of the fight,