GYM 
Ari, denotes the art of performing exercifes of the bedy, 
‘whether for defence, health, or diverfion 
Th 
h a 
military, , medicinal, ~ ageenes. or neces 
Several modern writers have treated of this art ; as Mer- 
jali —— : Faber, in Agonittic. Matt 
Dé Sanit. Tuend. Voflius 
in Mgdicina Gymnattica ; and M. Burette, in feve: 
tations. on the ancient cee: Spherittics, Ashlee, 
Wreitling, Pugillate, Difcus, & 
M. Burette has given the nifty of gymnaflics in the 
Memoirs of the Royal Academy of Infcriptions. _ Accord- 
ing to him, this art is coeval with the world. In reality, 
we can Snair fuppofe mankind to have ever been without 
: t of exercifes of the body, which the defence of 
their ect, 3, the prefervation of healch, and even recreation 
and mirth, would neceffarily lead them to. yo een, 
‘On the =i Sw aiicn of fociety, men, bei rifed 
‘the neceflity of military exercifes, for repeling the infults 
of their Se Aa initituted. games, (fee d- 
nning, 
rity of arm in sccuiags yi inc eee a ball, or t ofling 
» &e. were ‘exercifes fuited 
> a 
yet it appears, from fevéral paflages in 
omer, a neds the twenty-third book of the 
tn where he deferibes » ee celebrated at abe funeral 
Re ae that i wn 
Go 
Br: 
@ 
ay 
ae 
at 
a . 
EP a: 
2 
i 
e 
-3 
5 
+ 
“i 
= ee giv ao of ri exer, that even pest i 
mnaiti ted ii a ; 
ie: ase wante lee e of perfeétion _ 2 when 
naftic art in 
= that it et i to ee no earlier than Plato, hej is to 
ics only. "This latt, 
: cr: becaufe, while he men continued 
us, the “had no occafion for it ; but when 
shad reduced them to the fad rneceffity of 
-thefe, who had found that n 
: te the ora and oe eee 
onvinced | pop hdd i 
fie cer eb : 
Pe hard to determine the precife epocha of 
of the. 
| a See that one af 
rite the obffinaty of Grecian 
GYM 
Hippocrates, i in his book of Re imen, has given inftanees' 
of it, where he treats of exercife in general, and of the 
‘But as phyficians did not adbgt all the exercifes of the 
their divided between 
mnaftic art in ctice, it came 
them and the matters of martial and athletic exercifes, who 
a fchools, the number of which was 
greatly increafed in 
ng others, gymnaitics and met inh ; oe laft unha 
then relinquifhed the title it had to tle former, oa 
neglected to refume it ever fince. 
fe five gymnattic exercifes, fo much celebrated by all 
the writers of antiquity, and fo accurately ee by 
Homer, Pindar, Sophocles, and Pauf: 
doubled, oan at agen the competitors were Geernited” to 
pafs the ee 
could be erated tot 
the race of men ae ‘wrth heavy armour - Bri = 
pee —— a con rength as well as of fwiftpets. 
ond trial if agility confifted in nlesping, the com- 
petiehe pezveeiee to fur urpafs each o in the tera, 
ceeded the experience of modern time 
pir Paufanias ore of Phaulus- a Peas, “that he te sped 
ancients os ee 
as 
P their 
wreftlers were matched by lot, and the prize eehieted 
to him whe had thrice. thrown his adverfary on the —. 
chiefly-the ftrength of 
a 
hand. “The * 
as that weapon was darted | 
ied fi flea finale of es well as- dexterity of 
sy both i in order and eftimation, 
es of the Symone OF) 
this dango amufenent 
