IIORSE-BACK RIDING. 131 



to his son, part of which wc have already quoted, 

 concludes his advice by bidding him beware of strik- 

 ing the stone that served as a goal, lest he should 

 wound his horses and shatter his chariot to frag- 

 ments. 



As the peril increased towards the end of the 

 course, it was then a loud flourish of trumpets was 

 played, animating men and horses to renewed 

 efforts. Dexterity, however, was more necessary 

 than swiftness, for frequently the horses, being 

 pushed beyond their strength, lost their wind and 

 failed to double the goal. Hence the comparison 

 which Cicero employs in the fourth book of his 

 "Academical Questions," "I shall imitate the ex- 

 ample of a wise charioteer, and spare my horses in 

 order to be able to finish my course." Callisthenes, 

 in a fragment still extant, relates that Alexander in 

 his early youth contested the prize in a chariot race 

 at the Olympic games, and obtained the victory by 

 his prudence and discretion. The majority of his 

 rivals had passed him, but some, rendering their 

 horses useless by injudicious haste, were unable to 

 advance further ; while others, in their ardor and im- 

 petuosity, came into collision and dashed their char- 

 iots to pieces. A certain Nicolaus alone retained 

 for a brief space the advantage he had gained ; but 

 Alexander, foreseeing that, in his excessive eagerness, 

 he would eventually meet the same fate as the others, 

 did not allow himself to become disquieted ; and 



