The Carbon advocate. [volume] (Lehighton, Pa.) 1872-1924, 1892-11-19
CLASSIC PUGiLISM.

' Ia aCl0lC ! WI iAiDN,
HOMER WAS TIE FO3IRuNEEa OF ,
THE MODERN REPORTER.
.'ov the O-cat Epic I'uct Dcscribed
smuggling st,tch. -.r,,c or Ills Copy" 1
wouid De Rejected Icy the Average |
spor,ing Editor-Hi, wrestling Bouts. I
There was n thno-bctwecn 1900 aud /.
5000 years ago-when if was as we'll .
worth while for man TO %, champion .
p1gilist as it is now. Such man WIS /
then appreciated Mt his full value, even /
taking as the measure Of that value his /
own opinion Of himself. Flo who could /
meet all comers mt the Nympiau games /
ceased thereafter to he an ordinary NOR I.
tai. The government supported him Tor /
life, he was exempt from taxes, he had /
"a free pass TO all public entertainments, /
his name was engraved ON marble tab /
lets and his statue was erected i'm the I
sacred grove Of Els, beside the gold and |
ivory Jupiter Of Phidas The games
themselves in which he had won honor
formed epochs in history, by reference |
to which the dates of other events were
fixed.
Homer. in describing the games held |
by Achilles at the funeral of his friend,
Patroclus, tells how the hero put up rs
prizes Of the violent boxing match" a
valuable mule, warranted sound, for the
victor and for the vanquighed two
handled cup. It was to be free to all,
go-as-you.pleaso fight and from all that
appears no betting was allowed.
Homer continues; Forthwith arose
man great and valiant and skilled in
| boxing, Epeos, son Of Panopeus, and
laid his hand on the sturdy mule aud
| said aloud; Let any one come and take
the two handled cup, but the mule say
none other Of the Achaians shall take
for victory with his fists, for [ claim to
be the best man here. ! will utterly
bruise mine adversary's flesh and break
his bones; so let his friends abide to-
| gether here and bear him forth when
vauquished by my hands"
Our modern gladiator has publicly
voiced practically the same sentiment,
4 thus; 81 am John L. Sullivan and can
lick any man in this crowd"
! The poet goes on: Alone arose against
him Furyalus, godlike man, son Of
King Mecisteus. Tydides, famous with
the spear, made ready Euryalus for the
/ fight. cheering him with speech and
! greatly desired for him victory. And
first he cast about him a girdle and
next gave him the well cut thongs Of
the hide Of an OK Of the field, and tire
two boxers, being girt, went into the
midst of the ring, and both. lifting mp
their stalwart hands, fell to, and thcir
hands joined battle grievously. Then
was there terrible grinding of teeth, and
sweat flowed from all their limbs. And
\ noble Epeos came on, and, as the Other
spied for an opening, sInote him on The
cheek, nor could he longer stand, for his
fair limbs failed straightway under him.
And as when beneath the north winds
ripple fish leapeth on n tangle covered
beach, and then the black wave hideth
it, so leaped up Euryalus at that blow.
But great hearted Epeos took him in his
hands and set him upright and his dear
comrades stood around him and bore
him from the ring with trailing feet,
splitting out clotted blood, dropping bis
head awry, and they set him down in his
swoon among them and themselves went
back aud fetched the two handled cup"
Euryalus was knocked ont in one
round. Such II description of the similar
, ( New Orleans contest would perhaps
, serve people better than the elaborate
: work Of art which was prepared for
them. The poet does not descend to do
, tails--he does not give information
{ enough. But then perhaps Homer does
] not aim to give information merely lie
) seeks rather 10 present picture, and
] the picture is there.
$ 1t will he noticed that there were no
"clinches' in this struggle, hut it is
e otherwise in the next game which the
greatest Of epic bards goes on TO de-
$ scribe. Achilles offers n tripod for use
4 before tue fire as prize for the winnei
e in the "gTievous wrestling match, and
v speaking TO tha assembled Greeks
e opens the contest with these words
T. Rise all who would eutar this combat
4 "Thereupon arose great Ajax, son Of
IS lebanon. and Odysseus, Of many wiles
r the crafty minded And the two being
4 girt went into the midst of the ring and
Il clasped each other in their arms with
e mighty hands like gable rafters Of &
# lofty house which some famed crafts
r. man ioineth, that he may battle th'
y winds force. And their backs creaked
gripped firmly under the vigorous hands
and sweat ran down in streams, ant
many weals along their ribs and shoul
re ders sprang up red with blood, whil
Il ever they strove amain for victory, 4
y win the wrought tripod"
After this sort Of thing had gone ol
l. for awhile it "began to irk the wei
10 greaved Achaians"-i. e., it made tn
3. crowd tired. To settle matters, Ajax
ns by agreement, FIRST lifts Odysseus an
m tries to throw him, but he struck defi
A " from behind the hollow of Alas kue
* and loosed his limbs and threw hin
W down backward, and Odysseus fell upo
ry his chest, and the people stared an
a, wondered. Then in his turn much ei
during, noble Odysseus tried 20 lift, an
NJ moved him a little from the ground, bu
rs could not lift him, so he crooked hi
ne knee within the others, and both fell O
.
by soiled with dust"
nj Then Achilles interleres. Victory
mt with both" he said. Take equal priz,
ng and depart that other Achaians ma
contend" In modern parlanee, the
fought to a draw. There was no "kicl
ing" against the referees decision. tt
au combatants wiped the dust from thei
is and put their doublets on, The d
RAJ scriptiun is poetical-not practical.
"a has been admired and lsuded by all q
he world for 5000 years or more, yet if
en was sent TO the average American new
ng paper editor as an account Of an actu
le- occurrence for publication in the spoI
at, ing columns It would be rejected wi
be- scorn. New York World.
o social DsGnitions
oil Nationalisin Is but another name T
Ily socialism, with hut a slight mudiiic
my ton. What socialism desires to rea
lut in a universal way for the whole wol
he natioualism desires TO obtain within
lly limits of the nation. Inasmuch as the
pie is a tendency in the human race to or!
me tallize around national centers nationi
Inc ism thinks it best torespect these bonn
Ic.) srios ultimately pationalism WOu