The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1912-08-03

llhto the arena through an UNDER
ground passage in the raised side of
the stadium, and the name and coun-
try of each proclaimed in order by a
herald.
The e event was the wrestling
declared beaten until he had been
thrown three times and laid on his
back. A good deal Of foul play was
tolerated in these matches. and Pau
sanias mentioned a man who did not
Know how to wrestle. but defeated his
opponents by breaking their fingers.
In our own day the famous Gotch toe
hold is considered perfectly legitimate.
Then followed the throwing of the
discus and the dart and the broad
jump. The discus throwing was main-
y TO test distance. but the dart throw
ing was TO hit a mark, The discus WAS
ietther of stone or metal and was very
he&Ny. The weight of the discus
seems to be a matter of dispute. There
is one ancient specimen extant which
is about eight inches in diameter and
weighs about four pounds. One his
torian says h discus usually weighed
about i pounds. Philostratos men
items 100 on'oits as a fine throw. but in
such a way as to make it doubtful
whether he is no talking at random.
ard in round numbers. Similarly
there are no details regarding the
jaselin contest.
The question Of the broad jump Is
more Interesting. An extant cpigrarn
on a celebrated athlete, Phayllus Ct
krolon. asserts that he jumped clean
over the broken ground onto the hard
ground beyond-a distance of 40 feet.
which is some jump. The length of
this jump would be wen more incredi-
BILE if the competition vas in a stand
ing jump. and Yet the pictures Of the
athletes favor this superstition. They
are represented. not as running. but
as standing and swinging dumbbelis,
which were always used by the older
Greeks. as assisting them material
ly in their distance. Another histori-
an maintains that so feet was a pref
ty good little jump. In running this
carrying of weights would nave i'm
peded the contestants. There is no
mention made of vaulting. so that the
leap seems to have been an isolated
contest.
The most objectionable Of the
sports was boxing and the pankration.
In Homeric times boxing was a dan
gerous II bloody amusement, and
the vanquished always received a good
beating. The Greeks We're not content
with naked fists, hut always carried a
weight in their hands. fastened with
thongs to their wrist. They may have
been something like the brass knucks
that toughs use now. The success
full boxer in the Iliad. Epeius. con-
~fesses that he is a bad actor. but evil
IDENTIFY this sport was not highly es-
,eemed in epic DAYS. The olympian
boxer. with his heavy weights. would
not ave stood much chance against
the lightning-like strokes of a light
handed Jack Johnson.
Tho pankration combined wrestling
and boxing and permitted every sort
of physical violence. except biting. A
mere fall did not end the affair, but
the ground. and often ended in n
of the comhatants being actually
choked or having his fingers and toes
broken. Another pleasing little con-
test is mentioned in which each man
allowed his contestant to hit him as
hard as he could. One man. after re-
ceiVing a blow. retaliated by thrusting
his fingers into his contestants side
and drawing out his entrails. But the
injured man was declared the victor,
although he died. as the other man
had used five fingers instead of his
fist. 1t was a great moral victory for
the other fellow,
After the athletic contests there
We're horse races and chariot races.
And then the victors we're solemnly
crowned with olive wreaths before the
assembled multitude amid shouts of
Joy.
When this ceremony was over the
athletes usually got drunk and then
went to their homes, where the vic
tors were welcomed With elaborate
festivals. \ part of the wall around
their native city was torn down, that
they might not have to walk over
ground 'profaned by other feet.
These We're the Olyrnpian contests
iii their palmiest days. But they lat
er d~eeenerated into contests between
professionals. and athletes merely
travelled around from one place to
another giving exhibitions. These
professionals We're looked down up
on by most IF the people. 1t finally
got so that a man who went to an
olvmrian game had to go home
through the back alleys and go up
stairs in his stocking feet. This did
not take place all at once. of course.
but as the athletes ceased to be drawn
from the better classes, and as money
came to he offered as prizes. low
hrowed hruisers made their living by
pulling down these prizes. and the fair
lame of the Olympian anne was sui
lied.