Modern Athletics 1868

ANCIENT ATHLETICS. 9 fered witli this divine right odf octoring, and accused the "regulars" of neglectintghe science of medical dietetics. His method was, as with other reforms, adopted after a time and improved by the faculty; so that we find Hip­ pocrates assuming to himself the glory of having perfected and reduced training to a system not very different from that which was recentlyin use among ourselves. These re­ forms were rubbing orchafing to bringdown excess of flesh, and to harden thawt hich remained ; walking, either on the round or straight course; arm exercises, preparatory to the more serious work of the palaestra; mock-wrestling with the handsonly, without closing; and regulamr otions of the arms and body, which appear to have been like our dumb-bell exercises, and do not properly belong to gymnastics. The gymnasium was not a Roman institution, and though the agonistic art was practised at an early time in the Ludi Maximi, yet it was oGf recian origin. Indeed, the regular trainingof boys after the Greek fashion was opposed to Roman habits, and held in contempt.Towards the end of the Republic, indeed, wealthy Romans, who had acquired by residence, in Greece or otherwise, a taste for Greek manners, used to attach to their villas places for exercise {gymnasia, palcestrce, or gestationes), just as an English country gentleman erects a billiard-room; yet these never made gymnastics popular among the people, who preferred being spectators, in magnificent thermae, amphitheatres, and othecrolossal buildings, of the contests of professional gladiators in the cruel arena. In one respect our position is like that ofthe Romans, Athletics are not indigenous with us. Let us guard against that decline which is too apt to set in with luxury and refinement, which happened to the Greeks and Romans, when idle loungers, instead of trained youth, frequented the gymnasia, when the hard work was handed over to hired professionals, and when thexcitement was inbetting and gambling on the effortosf others, without any personal emulation. The gymnasia thus lost their character as institutions for physical and mental training,and became mere cock-pits and prize-rings. Absit omen. The case was far different in the best times of classical antiquity. Those athletes who conqueredin any of the great national games of Greece received the highest honours andrewards. They were considered to confer a glory on the state to