Scientific Athletics

INTRODUCTION. II~ ,~ F the generality of mankind wer questioned concerning the inception of athletic and phy ical cultur generally, th ir an wer ~-- ,~ would almost universally be in th negativ . Appar ntly the exploit of Grecian and Roman gladiators ar familiar to everyone, o that in all probability th mind of the indiff r nt ob rver would imm cliately turn vaguely to th , eemingly mythi al h ro of antiquity. But although th ancient Greek and Roman prac– tised zealou ly, and taught, athl tic and th ci nee of physical culture, yet they w re not th actual originator of these art . Befor thi I roblematic inquiry can b tarted it i nee ary to make a momentary flight throughout all the age ub quent to th formation of man, and th n to tud the actions of mankind in their arthly paradi e. B ing in uch a upr m ly happy state, would it be oth rwis than rational to pre ume that '' ur fir t par nt '' would lit rally leap in their joy ? ith r would it b out of place to a ume that they would run or print in their pu rility. The abov induction may appear to b hypothetical, w must refrain from deducing inferenc s from hagiology. verth le , it may b rationally inferr cl that athl tici m was in v gue, mor or le s, for many centurie befor any r port can be auth nticat d, o that in reality the question of d termining anything like th precis tim at whi h athl ti s w r primitively adopted is obviously impo ible. It is alleg d that a comparativ ly primary form of physical cultur wa instituted by the Chinese about 15