The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1896-04-14
THE oLYMPIAN GAMES.

Il makes n feed young as nation to
compare our achievements with the ath-
lefic contests now taking place in Greece.
There the record OF the Olympfan games
goes 20 far back that their origin n lost
takes credit for the festival which annu-
ally celebrated the sacred month. with
out going 30 far back - 20 claim that
the great Jove himself established the
games to commemorate his success in the
contest with Kronos for the sovereignty
that nearly eight hundred years before the
Christian era there were trials Of strength
and competition in skill II must have
been a grand sight when the seats Of the
stadion with their 5000 occupants were
full. although. as only men were admitted.
it WAS not 30 picturesque Is the great
GATHERINGS Of Rome. where women saily
dressed accompanied the men to the am
phitheater.
For many years. according to an article
recently written by NarQuand. the con-
tests consisted only of foot races. but later
ing, chariot racing and horse racing. There
were contests also in which only boys par
ticipated. and they were all calculated to
develop muscular force and stimulate en-
durance. 1t was not for two hundred years
afterwani that races for mares were es-
then apparently there was jump OF two
hundred and fifty years before any mate
rial innovations were made. the principal
OF which was the introduction OF races
between colts. There had been competi-
tons between heralds and trumpeters. but
nearly seventy years of the Christian era
had elapsed before musical contests were
added.
Human nature seems to have been much
the same then. however. as II Is now. and
the magistrates and priests had to put the
contestants under oath that they had
undergone the required training and that
they would obey the rules Of the game.
Those rules show that II was found neces-
sary TO take precautions. not only against
selling the contests. but attempted corrup-
ton Of the judges. and even these regula-
tons did not operate to prevent such Of
ments were paid for out OF the nnes ex-
acted from contestants.
The ancient Grecians began their games
pretty carly In the morning. the heraids
summoning the first athletes on the pro-
gramme at daybreak. The object OF these
games was of very practical character.
and although the Greeks do not seem to
have attained the speed and endurance ex-
hibited In modern six-day walking matches
on tan. It Is recorded that one Of them
made a run from Athens to Sparta and
backbone hundred and thIrty-five miles
In two days. This was an average speed
of six miles an hour. for between eleven
and twelve hours a day. The bicycling
record OF today for this distance is under
eight hours. Soldiers were trained and
had competitions in making speed. accou-
tered in heavy armor, and the chariot rae
Ing was TO some extent promoted for mill
tary purposes.
Wrestling and boxing must have been
much more brutal than with us. because
biting. choking. squeezing. breaking fing-
ers and jumping upon an opponents back
were permitted. In fighting. the fists were
bound with heavy tnrongs OF OK hide, to
which were attached knobs and plates OF
metal. not unlike the knuckle- busters of
the highway rohber. They did not have
contests In which there was a Knockout
within ten seconds. and no fighting was
allowed by telegraph, telephone or long
range correspondence. In that form which
was called the pancratium. the contest
began with boxing without gloves. but as
soon as the contestants got TO close quar-
tiers the wrestling started and continued
even after the men had reached the ground.
and often lasting late into the night.
There were races for boys and girls, al
though these took place at another time
from that Of the tournament for men.
| Girls were divided into three age classes.
backs. wearing a short tunic extending e
| low the knee. and with the right shoulder
bare 10 the breast. Their rewards were
crowns OF olive. This form OF spor, was
not very general and died cut long before
the oiymrian games
Remoteness has placed q glsmor around
| these Olympian games, but Il Is douh. fs,I
| they were productive of better results
than the modern training in a well con-
| Quoted gymnasium. No doubt a,hletieIs.n
| was more general. because men in those
times evidently had more leisure and few
er sedentsry occupations. The range Of
amusements. too. was probably more re-
sirie,ed. and there was certainly less gen.
| erai ir,eres; In literature. Then, too. pre-
| parsttJn for the games extended over the
| ees, Fart Of the year. and this naturally
sustained the interes; and prompted both
boys and men 70 trials OF strength and
| skin among themselves. Athletic exer-
esses are not so popular as they oush, 70
be. considering the great moral as well as
hyg'enic effect they have upon man. ans
anything Is good whsch tends 70 Arouse
interest In physical development