The Portland daily press., 1901-02-02

were built The actual founding OF these
games was asc.ibsd to Iplitos of Ellis,
who with Lyourgus resrganized them as
early as the tn century B. g In sc3ord-
Gnoe with n oracle from IelIhi the de-
cree being inscribed on a discus Of tr)nze
in the Heraeon. After this the Ulymp'an
Games rose to the di guity OF national
festival, and Declme an expression OF
6Teoian unity. They were not registered
In their order until 776 Is, e., ard the
use of O1ympiads did not originate TIL
later. lie Games took place at the first
tuil moon after the summer solstiee,
when heralds were sent forth TO proclaim
universal peace throughout al Greece.
Competitors and spectators assembled
from far and near, the embass sslss repre-
senting the different states, being OF great
magnifcence The festivities lasted five
days, the centre OF Interest being arsat
sacrifices to Zeus and ether gods, under
the management of priests who dwer at
Olympia.
The foot-raoe Was at first the most
i'm mportant event in these games in the
Stadion. At the 18Th Olymplad in 7U5
b. g., boxing ana wrestling and the
throwing of the dic1s were first prac-
tissd; and on the 2jth Olympiad, In ts0
B. o., the horse race was introduced.
Only frse-born Greeks of untarnished
character could take part, though what
they callet barbarians might bs specta-
tors; but women, with the exception OF
the Eean prieste sses, were not permitted
to witness the sports. The competitors
had TO appear In the Council House and
swear In the presence OF Z9us Horkios,
the protector of oatns, that they had
taken the prescribed ten months' train
ing, I'D would obsy the laws and regu-
Iations of the games. As the vlctors ap'
peare the herald announcad the name
aud the state OF Greece from whioh they
came Tae palm OF victory was handed
60 tins winner Immediately af6sr the con
test The prizss were branches from the
sacred olive tire, planted by Hercules
timselt. who was in the hahis OF taking
part the CONTEST. He was not the
Iuasan Hercules whom the Greeks wor-
shi ppad as their founder, who was pres
ent when Z,us was born. but the Herou'
strength.
Tns Greeks attached great value to the
Olympic olive branch, the honors gained
with it being hereditary. The victors
were feted at the public expense and
given quarters in the Pyrtaneion, or
Kings Hall, and vera allowed to erect
statue to themselves In the "AltIs," un-
tjl finally there grew upa forest of
statues which in the course of centuries,
even attsr tho Romans had plundered the
templ IS, almost filled the great enclosure,
and were described in a book by Pausan
las Among the pedestals now seen there
is one Of that Roman general Mummius,
who, after robhing Greece, sent the In
valuable works of art he hsu stolen to
Italy, telling the captain of the ship that
If any were lost, he must restore them
with those of like value.
Men iilustrious intellectually also sp-
peared at the Olympian Games, for the
purpose OF reading their own works, He
rodotus having inspired Thucidides when
he was boy, to write his own histories
while listening to parts OF the WORKS OF
the former. In the 17ta Olympiad, 412
B g., rhemist poles enjoyed h greatest
trim o,ph when the assembled Greeks
rrset Id the nero of Salamis with shouts
Of applause; ana Plato also was received
hers by tbs enthusiaftio multitude.
A Won gaze down uIoa tue vast ruins
from 10 Kronos, they have the air OF
VERT bic city, crumhliDg in the last
81 ,orss of decay. Alter climbing that
cl,ssic nilt and once more looking down
upon the magnificent display OF objects
niaokened by decades OF centuries, we
turred ofur aces towards Itaiy, that an
Client country, in comparison With that
region full of old marble cities, the nd
m earle t mythlogy, and tine birthplace
of gods who lived before Jupiter.
a. II. q.