Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1906-04-30

bats were added. At first the fist was
not mailed. but as the demand for eA'
element Increased. the combatants en-.
cased their hands in hard leather
straps, and these were by and by,
provided with metal-buckles.
Admission to the games was accord
ed all Greeks who had not committed
any crime. Strangers and slaves were
not excluded from the spectators, but
could not offer sacrifices or take parI
in the sports. Married women were not
admitted, although young ladies were
permitted to view the contests. Inc
religious aspect Of the festivities ap'
peared in the conditions under when
the contestants were admitted. TheS
were first required 10 solemnly swear,
al the altar Of Zeus, that they had de-
voted at least ten months TO prepara-
tons and that they would not prac-
tise any dishonesty in the contests ON
the day OF combat one of the officials
made the following proclamation to the
Assem- bled candidates for Olympiab
honors: III you have taken the troubls
OF training, as IL proper IN all who win
enter the Olympiau arena; and If you
are not guilty OF any ienoble deeds or
Of negligence. then come with cheerful
minds. But If any OF you has neglect
ed training or other duties let him GO
hence" To partakc In the olympian
games, was serious AFFAIR In olden
times. though It was an occasion oil
festivities and feastlng, The winners
were overwhelmed with honors, but 10
win them meant strenuous work ana
devotion TO duty.
The idea OF combining religious eN-
ercises and physical culture Originate
ed. undoubtedly. IN the very correct
view that Il is the sacred duty Of man
10 develop both mental and physical
powers to the greatest possible perfec-
ton. II followed that the people dur
ing the festivals In honor OF the gods'
on which occasion they displayed the
best they had Of everything, also DE-
sired TO please their dlvinities by
display OF their physical achievements
Even the strength Of the youth, ana
the beauty OF their forms were con-
sidered among the good gifts OF the
deity. for which the people owed them
gratitude. And thus the Olympian fes-
tival was essentially religious instl-
tuition,
But IL degenerated. Victory was
In later times. not a question OF physic-
al endurance and training, but OF
money by which TO procure the SWIFT
est horses or mules, or the services OF
the most skilful wagon-makers. When
fst-combats were introduced, a pecu'
liar training was needed ard IT was
found that this made poor soldiers out
of that class Of athletes, being alto-
gether too heavy and unwieldy for the
army. Instances of brutality were
not unknown when these prize-fght-
ers exhibited in various places In the
| country. One OF these Is told by an
ancient writer. Damoxenos and Kreu-
gas were the two combatants. When
they had fought long time, one be-
| ing unable TO gain any advantage over
| the other, they agreed that each
| should hit the other once wherever
| he wanted. Kreugas delivered fear
| full blow upon The head Of Damoxenos
| 4. ban h.. .
manded his antagonist to lift up one
arm, whereupon he landed on thu
lower part Of the body with such
force that the skin burst and the intes'
tines were laid bare. But such bru
tally was too much even for that age
and the murdered pugillst was de-
clared the victor. In the purer day
OF Greece the murderer would have
been killed. The wrestlers, too, some
times became cold-blooded man.slay
ers.
II deserves notice that neither tn
Greeks, nor the Romans, found II
their athletic exercises an infallibl
means of national preservation. witt
the decline OF morals came nationa
weakness, in spite of all efforts a
physical perfection. This is one o
the important lessons Of the histor
OF athletics. In moral purity the ma
ton, as the individual. will find tn
only firm ground upon which to bull
for the future.