Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-08-25
EGYPTIAN GYMNASTS.
Physical Education Among the Sub
jects of the Ancient Phara0hs.
POLO PLAYED ON HUMAN sTEEDS.
Pugilistic Ladies' Who Fought on the Banks
Of the Nile.
EVOLVED FROM DANCES
WRITTEN FOB THE DrsPArcH.,


Great as the distance Is from China to
Egypt, and unknown as both nations were
to each other, recent researches have estab-
lished beyond the possibility of doubt that
the Egyptian culture was, excepting the Chi
nese, the oldest the world beheld. 1t is,
therefore, convenient and proper to study
the gymnastics or rather calisthenics and
sports Of the ancient Egyptians in the same
order.
As the Egyptian people were divided into
hereditary and welldefned castles, the priest
craft being the most learned and cultured,
the soldier class next, education and learn
ing was chiefly confined to them alone and
not disseminated among the whole
people. Medicine, or surgery rather,
seems to have been comparatively ad-
vanced, numerous ingenious instruments OF
copper and bronze, preserved In collections
and museums bearing evidence thereto.
Specialism was the order of the time for
everything, eyes, ears, teeth, ,tchest, stomach,
etc. A medical code existed containing
rules and regulations for all known diseases,
and if the physicians of the Pharaoh's kept
within this standard OF precepts. the recov-
cry or death of a patient was beyond the ac-
less reason existed for the animation of an
Egyptian physicians ambition than for that
Of his Chinese colleagues, who never re-
ceived fees, excepting their patients en-
joyed perfection of health, the fees being
promptly stopped when illness made its ap-
pearance.
No records are traceable indicating the
use of gymnastics by the Egyptians as q
means of preserving health or educating the
young. Although being a practical people
and likewise OF much warlike spirit, they
were far behind other nations in that re-
spect. Herodotus who has much to relate
about them, mentions nothing certain about
gymnastics among the people on the Nile.
Diodorus Siculus alleges that wrestling
was diligently exercised in by the Egypt
ians, but that this practice was held in no
high esteem, because the strength thereby
acquired was of no long endurance. Bar
thelemy denies that any gymnastics proper
were known in Egypt.
BALL GAMES IN EGYPT.
Fortunately many illustrations exist
throwing light upon the subject. In Rosel-
lini's illustrated history of Egypt and Nubis
a great number of pictures and figures,
copied from monuments, tombs and relics,
depict explicitly various modes and man
ners OF dance, gymnastic and athleticSex-
ercises.
Ball playing was seemingly a pastime if
not profession, but our modern 1.-the
limbed, nimbIe-footed and hard-fsted clubs
of nine would have felt sad and weary at the
sight of the Egyptians game. No batting,
little running, no sliding for bases and no
recording angel of the journalistic profes-
sion or snapshot photographer to immortal
ize their doughty deeds on the diamond to
the eternal qualification of their country
men.
1t was slow game, this of the ancient
subjects of the Pharaohs, and resembled
polo, inasmuch as the players were mount
ed, not on horses, but on each others backs.
Although fashion is sometimes queer and
capricious. it is hardly probable that the
present baseball rules will ever become so
perverted in the twilight of the
nineteenth century as to compel a
sovereign citizen to make a beast of
burden of himself When scrutinizing this
Egyptian ball game illustration without the
insight of a profound Oriental scholar,
one is led to admit that those on top, the real
players and handlers of tie game, strikingly
resemble female figures indeed. They look
much more ladylike and graceful from their
elevated positions. Perhaps the Egyptian
ladies were less punctilious in those days
than their modern, much-veiled and be-
shrouded sisters, and being fond Of the pre-
vailing pastime, but, lacking wind and
muscle, conveniently accepted their faithful
swains and cavaliers as substitutes for loco
motion. Considering these distressing cir
cumstances, it is little to wonder at that the
game of baseball did not attain high state
Of development among the ancient Egyp-
tians.
Various illustrations represent modes Of
wrestling in rude and obscure fashion,
from which little can be learned about this
practice. One feature Of it appears to have
been the lifting and handling of passive
participators in the sport keeping their
bodies In perfect rigidity, which in certain
positions is q somewhat difficult matter, as
every gymnast knows. Fencing with broad
swords and shields is frequently depicted,
the latter being narrow and strapped to the
shield arm from the elbow to below the
fingers.
PUGILISTIC WOMEN.
The eminent Psychologist, Roselldini. in
his work previously referred to, depicts only
one representation where the inference can
be drawn that the ancient Egyptians were
devoted to the fistic art. The positions of
the figures indicate unmistakably pugilis-
tic encounter, but it is painful to
observe that likewise here the prin-
cipals were of the female sex. 1t
is, therefore, with some hesitation that
mo dac1ore n an erposition of hona fde