Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1908-08-14
THE OLYM PlAD.
A Survey of the Famous Games In
Ancient Greece.

ces by the year alb urbe conaita. There
was no such fixed era for the Greeks.
Some historians dated from the fall
Of Troy, but opinions varied within
some six hundred years as to the time
of that occurrence itself. There were
divers other systems. Some dated by
the Archons at Athens, or by the
priestesses in the temple Of Hera at
Argos. But apart from other objec-
tions neither system was internation-
al and both implied that the reader
must know his list Of archons or
priestesses by heart. The archons
were more satisfactory than the
priestesses. because they had, at least,
fixed term of office. A priestess
might hold office for one year or for
thirty, but, obviously, the great four
yearly festivals formed better ba-
sis for dates than either and among
such festivals the Olympian was prob
ably the best True the Fythian
games at Delphi were fully as famous
and inspired far more religious feel
ing, but the temple at Delphi was too
much exposed to disturbance and pill
lage. Olympia lay quiet, out of the
main track of war and political trou-
ble And Olympia professed, truly or
falsely, to have a record Of all con-
querors since the great reconstruction
of the games in 776 B. c. The games
themselves are just declining from
their prime glory at the time when
we hear most about them. in the fifth
century B. C. Bodily prowess was
still such an important quality in man
that, if any great athlete happened to
play a part In history, the historians
generally mention his victories in the
games. But 1t was no longer an age
in which Shaw, the life guardsman,
could seriously be regarded as more
admirable warrior than the Duke of
Wellington. And in Pindar, the wri-
ter from whom we hear most praise
of the games, there Is a constant un-
dercurrent Of regret, irritation, al
most bewilderment, that the world Is
no longer attaching proper import
ance to the great boxing and horse
racing mobiles and to him, their proph-
eft. Pindar, an aristocrat himself,
was the poet of Dorian aristocracy.
He was the bard Of those great houses
which, in spite Of their occasional
leading forth of an adventurous col
ony, remained for the most part
grumbling and half forgotten. while
the main stream Of Hellenic life
swept past them. They were men OF
courage and muscle, great hunters,
runners, boxers; IL need came, great
warriors, though only In the manner
of their ancestral tradition, with none
of your modern book learning or
siege tactics. Their object was to be
"good men," and they meant by
goodness" what their grandfathers
meant. If they were outstripped In
the race of life 1t was as their great
ancestor, Ajax, had been beaten by
the unworthy Odysseus. Pindar added
another quality to the goodness or
Arete, which he required Of his pa
irons. thew must "spend"-spend
their money and strength and effort
freely for the attaining and main
tanning Of their Arete.
1t was a great ideal in it's day, and
Pindar conceives it greatly. The
misfortune Is that in the fifth century
It has ceased to correspond TO out
ward facts. The time which created
it was the period after the great race
migratlons, especially after the Dor
ian conquest of the Peloponnese. Mr..
Louis Dyer has shown how the Olym-
plan festival is derived from an an
cient Pre-Dorian gathering OF num-
Der of neighboring villages at CEN
tre which they called "Pylos;" gath
ering Of the ordinary four-yearly
type. with common worship and sac
crifice, open competitive games. and
opportunities for settling by discus
sion and arbitration any inter-com-
munal difficulties. A general truce
was, Of course, necessary Tor any
such common meetings, and was en-
forced, as usual by taboos and curses.
Eventually the whole territory or ELS,
in which the festival was held, was
declared sacred" or, in modern
language, neutral, and any invasion OF
it forbidden.
After the Dorian conquest this fes-
tival became widened and gloritied'
The Peloponnese became full Of con-
ouerink warriors out Of work, ath-
letes of war, with no one left to make
war on. The games had much clos
err relation to war than modern ath-
letes have. and the idea of Arete, or
goodness" in man or q warrior
had become prominent and forceful
in the Greek world. The conquerors
of the Peloponnese liked the oppor-
tunity of practising Arete and dis
playing it one against another. Only
the mobiles, as a rule, had leisure for
such exercises. Hesiod, the peasant
poet, never speaks of the games; nei-
ther is Piers Plo4ghman interested IN
tourneys Mobiles of other races join
ed in. The wealthy new nobility or
Sicily and Italy not only won horse
raceS-they had money 10 Duy eNpeil-
sive horses-but actually distinguish
ed themselves in personal prowess.
The games served a great purpose
They gave a harmless and humane
outlet to the fighting spirit OF many
conauering tribes. They gave up the
Invaluable tradition of periodic friend
ly meetings between neighbor states,
of the security Of the public roads OF
the notion of a fixed international
state of peace and decent conduct
even in the midst Of warning units.
And they served intensely, almost too
intensely to keep up that desire for
"goodneEs," judged by competitive
standards, which is at the root OF
many of the best and worst qualities
of ancient Greece. Like most con-
quering nations, the classical Greeks
were good sportsmen." On the
whole. one can see that Pindar's men
neither cheat nor accuse others OF
cheating, and mostly take defeat
like men 1t is only boys who are
said to jeer at a defeated competitor.
and those. I suppose, were the boys
who looked on. not the DoES VINO
nata1