The Dickinson press., 1892-11-05
CLASSIC pUGIiISM.
HOMER WAS THE F0RsRuNNER OF
THE MODERN REPORTER.

liltte WIS y Unit ~.tuu Ilu
5000 years ago-when it was us we'll
worth while for Il man 10 be y champion
pugilist lis it is now. Such Il mm was
then appreciated at his full value. even
taking as the measure of that value his
own opinion of himself. Ec who could
meet all corners al the Olylnpian games
ceased thereafter TO lie an ordinary NOR
tai. The government supported him for
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 in the
sacred grove of Ellis. beside the gold and
ivory Jupiter of Phidias. The games
themselves in which he had Won honor
formed epochs i'll 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 as
prizes of the violent boxing match; Il
valuable mule, warranted sound, for the
victor and for the vanquishcd Il two
handled cup. 1t WAS TO be Il free TO all,
go-as-you-please fight, and from all that
appears no betting was allowed.
Homer continues: ''Forthwith arose
u man great and valiant and skilled in
boxing, Epeos, son of Fanopcus, and
laid his hand IN the sturdy mule and
said aloud: Let any n come and take
the two handled cup, but the mule l say
none other of the Achaians shall take
for victory with his fists, fer | claim to
be the best nan here. | will utterly
bruise mine alvcrsary's flesh and break
his bones; so let his friends abide to-
gether here and bear him forth when
vanquishcd by my hands,"
Our modern gladiator has publicly
voiced practically the same sentiment,
thus: 81 am John l.. Sullivan and l can
lick any man in this crowd"
The poet goes on: ''Aloncaro against
him Euryalus, u 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 lie cast about him u girdle, and
next gave him the well cut thongs of
the hide of an on of the field, and the
two boxers, being girt, went into the
midst of the ring, and both, lifting up
their stalwart hands, fell to, and their
hands joined battle g%rievously. Then
was there terrible grinding of teeth, and
sweat flowed from all their limbs. And
,,n1ln Er,,c ANNA ~, o,,1 ,. {lo ,+l,.,
spicd for an opening, smote him on the
cheek, nor could he longer stand, for his
fair limbs failed straightway under him.
And us when beneath the north winds
ripple Il fish lcapeth N u tangle covered
beach, and then the Hack wave hideth
it, So lcaped 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 ont clotted blood, dropping his
head awry, and they set him down in his
swoon among them and themselves went
back and fetched the two handled cup"
Euryalus was knocked out in one
round. Such q description of the similar
New Orleans contest would perhaps
serve people better than the elaborate
work of art which was prepared for
them. Tho poet does not descend to de-
tails-he does not give information
enough. But then perhaps Homer does
not aim to give information merely. He
seeks rather to present a picture, and
the picture is there.
1t will be noticed that there were no
"clinches' in this struggle, but it is
otherwise in the next game which the
greatest of epic bards goes on to de-
scribe. Achilles offers a tripod for use
before the fire us Il prize for the winner
in the "grievous wrestling match" and,
speaking to the assembled Greeks,
opens the contest with these words,
Rise all who would enter this combat. %
"Thereupon arose great Ajax, son of
lebanon, and Odysseus, of many wiles,
the crafty minded. And the two being
girt went into the midst of the ring and
claspel each other in their arms with
mighty hands like gable rafters of a
lofty house which some famed crafts
man joineth, that he may battle the
winds force. And their backs creaked,
gripped firmly under the vigorous hands,
and sweat ran down in streams, and
many weals along their ribs and Shout
ders sprang up red with blood, while
ever they strove amain for victory, to
win the wrought tripod"
After this sort of thing had gone on
for awhile it "began to irk the well
greaved Achaians'-i. e., it made the
crowd tired. To settle matters, Ajax,
by agreement, first lifts Odysseus and
tries to throw him, but he "struck deft.
!, ly from behind the hollow of Alas knee
and loosed his limbs and threw him
down backward, and Odysseus fell upon
/ his chest, and the people stared and
wondered. Then in his turn much en-
during, noble Odysseus tried to lift, ani
moved him a little from the ground, bu'
could not lift him, SO he crooked hi
a knee within the others, and both fell OF
the ground near to each other and wer'
soiled with dust"
Then Achilles interferes. 'Victory i
. with BOTH" he said. "Take equal prize
n and depart that other Achaians ma,
g contend" In modern parlance, the,
fought to Il draw. There was no "kick
ing against the referees decision. TIL
u tombatants "wiped the dust from then
g and put their doublets on" The dc
o scription is poetical-not practical.
v has been admired and lauded by all til
h world fol- 5000 years OF more, yet if
was sent to the average American news
n paper editor as an account of an actua
occurrence for publication in the sport
ing columns it would be rejected wit
scorn.-NeW York World.