GYMNASTICS. 
individuals. Thus equipped they walked 
their horses round the circus. 
“ When sage Epy tides, to give the sign, 
Crack’d his long whip, and made the 
course begin.” 
They then started forward at full speed, 
and afterwards formed into divisions, re- 
turning back. 
“ while from their fingers borne, 
Their hostile darts aloft upon the wind 
Fly shivering : then in circling numbers 
join’d, 
The manag’d coursers with due measures 
bound, 
And run the rapid ring, and tvace the 
mazy round. 
Files facing files, their bold companions 
dare, 
And wheel and charge, and urge the 
sportive war. 
Now flight they feign, and naked backs "N 
expose ; # 
Now with turn’d spears drive head- ^ 
long on the foes ; ( 
And now confederate grown, in peace- \ 
ful ranks they close.” J 
The chariot races do not strictly belong 
to this article, but they were so far con- 
nected with personal exercises in the Cir- 
cus, that it would be almost unpardonable 
to pass them without notice. Strength and 
agility were entirely useless in the conduct 
of the chariot ; courage and address in guid- 
ing the fiery steeds were all that was requi- 
site in the driver. The charioteers were 
formed into companies in the Homan Cir- 
censian spectacles, and they excited great 
interest throughout Rome, the inhabitants 
of which were generally divided into par- 
ties, each attached to their favourite com- 
pany. This, in common with their other 
sports, was derived from the Greeks. The 
different ancient divisions were distinguish- 
ed by the colours of their habits, which 
were green, red, white, and blue ; and they 
were termed the Prasina, the Russata, the 
Alba, and the Veneta. 
The antiquity of the Pyrhica, or Saltatio 
Pyrhica, led ancient authors into many fan- 
ciful ideas, whence this warlike dance 
originated. Homer introduces it in its 
primitive state, in his description of the 
twelfth department of the shield of Achjlles. 
“ The skilful Vulcan then designed the 
figure and various motions of a dance, like 
that which Daedalus, of old, contrived in 
Gnossus for the fair Ariadne. There the 
young men and maidens danced hand in 
hand ; the maids were dressed in linen gar- 
ments, the men in rich and shining stuff’s ; 
the maids had flowery crowns on their 
heads, the men had swords of gold hanging 
from their sides in belts of silver. Here 
they seem to run in a ring with active feet 
as swiftly as a wheel runs round when tried 
by the hands of the potter. There they 
appeared to move in many figures, and 
sometimes to meet, sometimes to wind 
from each other. A multitude of specta- 
tors stood round delighted with the dance. 
In the middle, two nimble tumblers exercis- 
ed themselves in feats of activity, while the 
song was carried on by the whole circle.” 
At the period when the dance was prac- 
tised in the Roman amphitheatres, it had 
assumed a warlike appearance, the per- 
formers advancing and flying alternately as 
if engaged in battle. Claudian says, 
“ Their moving breasts in tuneful changes 
rise, 
The shields salute their sides, or straight 
are shewn 
In air high waving ; deep the targets 
groan, 
Struck with alternateswords wliich thence 
rebound. 
And end the concert and the sacred 
sound.” 
Scaliger informs us, with some degree of 
vanity, that he had often danced the pyr- 
hic in presence of the Emperor Maximilian, 
to the admiration and amazement of the 
inhabitants of Germany, and, as it appears, 
to that, of the Emperor, who, he adds, ex- 
claimed, “ This boy either was born in a 
coat of mail, instead of a skin, or else has 
been rocked in one instead of a cradle.” 
Real or supposed improvements in the 
customs of the European nations, have now 
nearly abolished or altered almost all of the 
ancient gymnastic exercises ; active feats 
and sudden turns of the body, or tumbling, 
are totally despised and confined to the most 
pitiful public exhibitions ; playing with the 
ball is very little practised ; leaping and 
foot races are limited to a few wagers ; 
pitching the quoit seldom extends beyond 
the apprentice and the labourer; throwing 
the javelin is entirely discontinued ; wrest- 
ling, long a favourite athletic exercise in 
