The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1895-03-22
THE OLYMPIC GAMES.

OuadrenniaI Dates and the Computations
Necessary.
rs. w. Balch In New York Evening Post.l
Preparations are under way for the
revival next year in Greece of the
olympic games. These were solemn fes.
rivals of the ancient Greeks, dedicated
to Olympian Jupiter and observed once
In four years at Olympia, They have
been suspended for fifteen centuries,
but past this long period, and also past
nearly twelve centuries more, it has
been one of the triumphs Of modern
science to accurately count the inter-
vening years, and date the festival with
which that Iong-continued although now
Iong-neglected succession of festivals
began. 1t was almost certainly in the
summer of ZIG B. c. OF 1t, history rec
ords that al runner named Coroebus was
victorious in the foot-race, and this is
the earliest incident in the records of
mankind whose date 1t has been possi-
BILE to ascertain accurately. Exactly
{. $50 winters have interviewed from then
until the present time, The determine
ton of this number, however, has been
no simple task, for 1T has needed alike
the most searching Investigations OF his
tory, and the highest achievements Of
astronomical science for Its solution.
Although the records of those ancient
festivals are now of the greatest chron-
illogical Importance, the Greeks insti-
tuted and at first observed them with
no such end of view Their true origin,
doubtless, was earlier than the oldest
record now existing The beginnings
perhaps, were small, and they were, per-
haps, not repeated at uniformly sepa-
rated points of time. Such irregularity,
for example, is to be noticed at the pres
emit day in the uncertain intervals that
lapse between successive international
expositions. Upon the revival OF the
games in the year IT'S b. c., a regular
repetition seems to have been suggested
to the methodical mind of the Greeks,
and with so firm al hold did these festiv
ais become rooted, not only in the Gus
toms of the people, but even to the land
itself, that until the close of the fourth
century A. d. they were observed in I'M
broken succession. For nearly 1900
years they endured through the varied
fortunes of Hellas and passed with the.
land to each conquering people.
Recurring as they did with less fire.
quency than the years, and each being
distinguished from the others by differ
emit victors, 1t is but natural to suppose
that they should early have been used
as an aid to tradition in fixing the lapse
9 T., al. HAnO1lpafinncg n
events long past, 1t is common now to
date them by association with presi-
Dental campaigns, and 1t Is but natural
to suppose that the Greeks were quick
to employ the Olympic festivals in a
similar way. However, so far as is
shown by records now preserved, 1t was
left to Timaeus, who died about 256 B.
c., to advocate a fixed point of refer
ence for systematic chronological work.
Four centuries back to the victory of
Coroebus was evidently as far as he was
able to go with the aid Of such informa
ton as he could then command.
The Olympic festivals were held at
the times of new moon nearest the sum
ner solstices, since these were the sea-
sons of the longest days and moonlight
nights. The Olympic years were reckon
ed from the preceding new moons, and
therefore began in the spring or sum
mer, and about midway between
the points at which we now begin the
years, all combined to render the olym-
pads afforded by the period In which |
they were observed. 1t Is not surpris-
ing, therefore, that the most trustworthy |
means of marking time the Greek meth |
DDS were frequently used by the Roman |
In the reign of Constantine, some |
eighty years before the Olympic festi- |
walls were suspended the Roman Indica- |
ton, period Of fifteen years, was es-
tablished, and this has made 1t posi- |
Bile to bridge across to the present meth |
Cd of counting time as years of our |
Lord. This latter did not come into
vogue until the sixth century, when the
Olympians had left a century and half |
behind. Through connecting at the ov-
erlapping points of these Successive
chains, 1t has been posi-
ole only approximately to trace through
he past twenty centuries, but
oy calculating the dates of ancient
eclipses recorded in connection with
olympic games, 1t is probably possible
20 correctly determine the years in
which the festivals were observed.
When Xerxes led his Persian army
against the Greeks, he found them at
heir games. Later in the season, Gle
,mbrotus, on succeeding Leonidas to
he command of the Spartans, offered a
iacrifice to know if he should march
,ut against the Persians, and while SO
Ioin.g the sun was darkened in mid
ky. This was taken as d sign of Gods
and Cleombrotusl in fright
withdrew his forces. The darkening
vas probably a large annual eclipse
october B. G. 4S0. The next eclipse in
n Olympic year is mentioned by Keno
hon, and has been dated by calcula-
ion September 8, B. G. 104. In connac-
ion with the Pythian games and the
urious battle of Coronaea there was
lso an eclipse which occurred August
4, B. G. 1874 AS the Pythian games
we're observed in August midway be-
ween the Olympic festivals, the next
ne of the latter must have been in the
ear b. c. 1872. All three of the festl-
ais which these eclipses have made it .
ossible to- date. took place in B. c.
ears dividable by four, and as success
I've festivals We're always exactly four