The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1896-04-10
AMERICA AND GREECE.


4 for itself from the winnings ofits you'll
in Athens, the joy of beatingIs notoTeI
the poor Greeks who have deterioatet
physically as we'll as in national power
but in excelling in athletics the repre-
sentauves of other nations assembled
there in competition.
1t is likely that if the modern Amer
leans could, by some shift of centuries
meet the ancient Greeks. they would
| find foemen worthy of their steel.
The sublime statuary OF the Greeks
indicates perfect models of physical
prowess and swiftness and agility.
1t is said that the Olympic games are
not success. There is a glamor OF
pOetical history in the modern games,
and that glamer is about all
When q thing is dead it Is dead, IN
games as in nations and men Olympia''s
glory has departed and cannot be re-
stored because the world and the CEN
turtles have moved away from It.
Olympia was in a fertile valley about
eight miles from the sea, and the an
cient games established here go back
to NEUROLOGICAL origin. One story is
that Jesus oyercame Cronus for the
sovereignty of heaven and set the festi-
val in honor of his victory. another that
the Cretan Hercules here challenged
his brothers to foot. race with the
understanding that the victor was TO
be crowned with wreath of wild olive
There were intermisSions in the chro-
nnlogy of the festival games and they
were subject to changes and reyivals.
one Of the latter. taking place in the
ninth century B. c., through Iphitus of
Els, Lycurgus Of Sparta and Cleosthe-
nes Of Pisa, and soon the records of the
performances were kept as accurately
as those of today.
The festivals were movable and when
the dates were decided upon heralds
went forth in all directions to bear in
yitations TO contestants and spectators
and from the places whittier they went
were sent out other messengers. They
were everywhere well received, from
the Asia Minor coast TO Spain and
France, for they were heralds Of peace,
and for the sacred month Of Heron
enia general truce prevailed. The
guests from various places were feast
ed and kept at the public cost and they
occupied seats of honor at the games
in the stadion. This structure seated
10000 men, and the men only were ad-
mitted.
For many years the contests consisted
only of foot races, until in 7OS B. G.
wrestling and the pentathlon were in
trOduced; in 6SS b. c., boxing; four
horse chariot race in $50 B. G.; horse
races and pancratium, GAS B. c.; foot
races and wrestling for boys, 632 p. c.;
the pentathlon and boxing for boys in |
62S and GIG B. G., respectively: war
riOrS' race in war accoutrementS, $40 |
Il. c.; various horse and mule races |
down to 40S b. c., and mounted colts !
256 b. C. Musical contests were in |
trOduced by Nero A d. 6S. The olym- |
pic festival was celebrated until A. y. |
394, when under Theodosius it was
abolished.
The pancratium was a combination |
OF wrestling and boxing 1t was some
thing like the London prize-ring fight
ing rules, only more so, for you kept up
10 f.rbr ,,-lA,, N 4-cTT,-,- =, q. 7,s,-,, e. ~,
pears. The game was less brutal than
the boxing matches, in which the hands |
were bornd with OK hide, and later
were equipped with knobs of metal. |
The pancratium must have been intro
duced by some Grecian Marquis OF 1
who regarded even the hit I
and wrestle style as an Improvement on
smuggling pugiIistic gentleman in the
ear with copper door knob. The
Grecian boxer who had been in a few
fights was no great beauty.
The pentothlOn or five games showed
up the all-around athlete 1t included
jumping. disc throwing, 7
weight putting) spear throwing (for
accuracy and wrestlinG.
The horse races We're held in the hip-l
podrome, next to the stadium. The
stadium was a long. rectangular, open
structure OF white marble, in which the
race was about 300
yards. with tiers of seats at the side.
The track was covered with sand In
his place the field aud track sports Of
he modern games are being held. The
onger races required short turn at
he end Of the stadium.