GYMNASIUM, in Grecian antiquity, a place fitted for performing exercises of the body. The word is Greek, being formed from γυμνός, naked; because the youth anciently put off their clothes, to practise with the more freedom.

Gymnasia, according to Potter, were first used at Lacedaemon, but were afterwards common in all parts’of Greece, from which the institution was transferred to Rome, where it was much improved. There were three principal gymnasia at Athens; the academy where Plato taught; the Lyceum, noted for Aristotle’s lectures; and the Cynosarges, allotted for the populace.

Vitruvius describes the structure and form of the ancient Gymnasia (lib. v. cap. 11). They were so called, because several of the exercises were performed naked; they derived the name of paloestrae, from wrestling, which was one of the most usual exercises there; and the Romans sometimes denominated them thermae, because the baths formed a principal part of the building. It appears that in the time of Homer they did not perform their exercises quite naked, but always in drawers; which were not laid aside before the thirty-second Olympiad. Orsip-pus is said to have been the first who introduced this prac*∙ tice; for having been worsted in consequence of getting entangled by his drawers, he threw them aside; and others afterwards imitated his example. The Gymnasia were not single edifices, but a knot of buildings united, being sufficiently capacious to contain many thousands of people at once, and having likewise room enough for philosophers, rhetoricians, and professors of all other sciences to read their lectures, as well as for wrestlers, dancers, and all others who had a mind to exercise, without the least disturbance or interruption. They consisted of a great many parts. Vitruvius mentions no fewer than twelve, namely,

1. The exterior porticos, where the philosophers, rhetoricians, mathematicians, physicians, and other virtuosi, read public lectures, and where they also disputed and rehearsed their performances; 2. the ephebeum, where the youth assembled very early, to learn their exercises in private, without any spectators; 3. the coryceum, apody-terion, or gymnasterion, a kind of ante-chamber, where they stripped, either to bathe or exercise; 4. the claeothesium, alipterion, or unctuarium, appointed for the unctions, which either preceded or followed the use of the bath, wrestling, pancratia, &c.; 5. the conisterium or conistra, in which they covered themselves with sand or dust, to dry up the oil or sweat; 6. the palaestra, properly so called, where they practised wrestling, pugilation, pancratia, and other exercises; 7. the sphaeristerium or tennis-court, reserved for exercises in which balls were used; 8. large unpaved alleys, which comprehended the space between the porticos and the walls with which the edifice was surrounded; 9. the xysti, or porticos for the wrestlers in winter or bad weather; 10. other xysti or open alleys, allotted for summer and fine weather, some of which were quite open, and others planted with trees; 11. the baths, consisting of several different apartments; and, 12. the stadium, a large space of a semicircular form, covered with sand, and surrounded with seats for the spectators.

For the administration of the Gymnasia, there were officers, the principal of whom were, 1. the gymnasiarcha i who was the director and superintendent of the whole;

2. the xystarcha, who presided in the xystus or stadium;

3. the gymnasta, or master of the exercises, who understood their different effects, and could accommodate them to the different complexions of the athletae; 4. the paedο-triba, whose business was mechanically to teach the exercises, without understanding their theory or use. Under these four officers there were a number of subalterns, whose names distinguished their different functions.

The gymnastic exercises may be reduced to two general classes; those which depend on the action of the body alone, and those requiring external agents or instruments. The latter consisted chiefly in mounting the horse, driving the chariot, and swimming. The former were chiefly [7:11:94]of two kinds, orchestice and palaestrice. The orchestice comprehended, 1. dancing; 2. cubistice, or the art of tumbling; 3. sphoeristice or tennis, including all the exercises with pilae or balls. The palaestrice included all exercises under the denomination paloestroe, as wrestling, boxing, pancratia, hoplomachia, running, leaping, throwing the discus, the exercise of the javelin, and that of the hoop, denominated by the Greeks τζyχpς, which consisted in rolling an iron hoop five or six feet in diameter, beset with iron rings, the noise of which apprising the people to give way, afforded them also an amusement. Both strength and skill were requisite in directing this hoop, which was driven with an iron rod. To these must also be added the exercises belonging to the medicinal gymnastics; as, walking, vociferation or shouting, and restraining one’s breath. Hoffman enumerates no fewer than fifty-five sorts of exercises which werepractised in the Gymnasia.