Los Angeles herald., 1908-05-31
Special to The Herald.

Special to The Herald.
NEW YORK. May S0-Next month
the fifth meet in the series of Olympic
games will take place in London. and
among the athletes VINO will come from
all quarters of the globe the Americans
are expected to make a showing equal
to any, and, in the opinion of enthu-
siastic supporters, are sure to carry OFT
the first honors in many of the events.
These modern Olympic games are
supposed to be revival of the ancient
athletic contests of the Greeks. In the
number of contests. in the kind and in
the personnel of the participants they
differ largely, but the exhibition of
clean sportsmanship, the "do-or-die"
spirit that the contestants display and
the honors to be won are much the
same as they were in the days OF old.
The Olympic games, or rather the
Olympiad. was the most famous of the
four great national festivals of the
Greeks and was celebrated once every
four years in the sanctuary of the
Greek god Zeus. Owing to the fiuctua-
tions of the Grecian calendar the time
of year varied from the beginning OF
August to the middle of September.
1t is impossible to tell when these
games first began. as their origin is lost
in antiquity. According to legend,
Hercules, an unusually powerful but
NEUROLOGICAL gentleman, was the in
stigator of the first one, and of course
the first worlds records" were made
at that time No dates are available
in regard to these early Olympiads, put
IL is said that interest in them died
out until the time of King Iphitus of
Ellis and Lycurgus in Sparta. He es-
tablished truce of God" at a cele-
bration of the games and restored them
to honor.
At first the games consisted of prac-
tically nothing but foot races ana oc-
cupied only a single day. but later the
number of contests increased until 1T
became necessary to devote five or six
days to the celebration. No official
records, say the authorities, were prop
erly kept until the fifth century, but
there are unofficial records centuries
before that date.
In 776 B. C. a sprinter named Coroev
bus won the "stadion," foot race
about $50 English feet in distance, and
for some time this was the only event.
In 724 B. C. a medium distance race
was instituted and in the following
year a long distance run, called the
"dolichos." More and more contests
were introduced as the years went on,
all B. c. events. In 708 wrestling was
added to the list, in $50 four-horse
chariot racing, in 668 boxing, in 64s
horse racing and contest known as
the "pancratium," combination OF
boxing and wrestling. Boys were ad-
mitted to take part in 632 and from
613 on the main interest was centered
in running, wrestling and boxing, al
though other sports were constantly
being added.
These contests were open only to
Greeks, and each participant had TO be
free from any taint of impiety or blood
guiltiness or any great breach OF the
laws, the first qualification being one
which might bar some very excellent
modern athletes. Faithful training for
ten months was required Of every ath-
lete, the last thirty days being spent
on the ground under the observation OF
the officials.
The Judges, or "Hellenodikai," varied
in number from two to twelve, but ten
was the usual number. When the Olym-
piad was opened the judges had to
swear by Zeus on the first day that
they would judge fairly and the men
entered for the contest had to take a
similar oath that they had trained
faithfully.
Sacrifices to Zeus occupied the entire
first day of the "meet" and the athletic
events began the next day with the
stadion or short foot race. the winner
OF this giving his name to the Olympiad
for that year. That is to say, IL MS
name We're Smithides the meet would
be known as the Smithides Olympiad.
AS a rule the games were held at ELS.
the capital of a small state of that
name, very ancient city, the site OF
which is now occupied by the modern
town of Paleopoli. 1t had the largest
gymnasium in Greece and on that ac-
count was suitable, gymnasium cor
responding to an athletic field.
Immense crowds gathered to view the
games and the costumes OF the attn
letes were donated by nature. Some in
vidious comment has been made on
the present day scantiness or costume.
but the ancients wore only a loin