4 
18 
recited. The vain-glorious Greeks, ever 
prone to ascribe the remotest origin to 
every part of their history, derived that 
of tlreir sacred games from the greatest 
and most venerable personages of anti- 
quity; from the Id2an Hercules, Clyme- 
nus, Endymion, Pelops, and Hercules, the 
son of Alcemena. ‘Théir name was 
taken, either from the town of Olympia, 
where they were observed, or from Ju- 
piter Olympius, to whom they were de- 
dicated. They were originally cele- 
brated. in triumph for victories. But 
from Tphitus, King of Elis, by some 
called the restorer, but most probably 
the founder, of the Olyinpic games, they 
received a more regular and coherent 
form. And after him, Corebus ordered 
them to be regularly and constantly 
celebrated. They consisted of religious 
ceremonies, and the games, compre- 
hending the equestrian and gymnastic 
exercises, The care and superintendance 
of the games were entrusted to the 
_ people of Elis, who, on this- account, 
were held in veneration by the other ins - 
habitants of the Peninsula; being exempt 
from every species of taxation, and pos- 
sessing other inimunities, which in the 
course of time they grossly abused. They 
appear to have been established, under 
the direction of the Delphic oracle, about 
776 years before Christ, and 19 or 20, 
before the building of Rome, according 
zo the common chronology ; but 149, ac- 
cording to Sir Isaac Newton.* The 
chronology of the Greeks was also de- 
termined by the Olympiad, which was a 
period, or cycle, of four years; and is 
tlie only wra made use. of by their’ 
writers. [bus their great festivals, such 
as the Panuthenga at Athens, and the 
Olympic games in Elis, were solemy 
nized every fifth year, after an interval 
of four complete years; aud to prove the 
great veneration in which these. games 
were held, each Olympiad took its name 
from that of the person who succeeded 
in obtaining the prize. The Olympic 
wera, in general, prevailed through the 
Pythian games served as an epoch to 
the people of Delphi and Beeotia; the 
Nemezan, to the Argives and Arcadians; 
and the Isthmian, to the Corinthians, 
and the inhabitants of the Peloponnesian 
Isthmus. The computations by Olym- 
piads appear to have ceased after the 
364th, in the year 440 before the Chris-- 
tian wera. 5 
Nothing could exceed the pomp and 
* Newton’s Chron. p. 37, 38. 
1 
Lyceum of Ancient Literature—No. XX ILI, 
[ Aug. i, 
solemnity with which these festivals 
were performed; in which religion, the 
trial of strength and skill, and the mag- 
nificence of the Greeks, had an equal 
share. But as we have no complete or 
circumstantial account of the several rites 
and ceremonies observed on those oc- 
casions, some of which, especially the 
Eleusinian mysteries, the Greeks con- 
Sidered it unlawful to divulge, we can 
only form a general idea of the splendour 
and magnificence with which they were 
performed. The learned reader is re= 
ferred to Pausanias,* for a pompous 
deseription of the temple of the Oiym- 
pian Jupiter. But, however these re- 
ligious ceremonies might exalt the de- 
votion and excite the enthusiasm of the 
people, they were no doubt equally at- 
tracted by the magiificence, the spirit, 
and the emulation, which accompanied 
the performance of the Olympic games. 
Tn these, the youth of the first distinction 
contended in person, as well as the pro- 
_fessed Athletes.’ Tbe games consisted’ 
of the foot-race; of the Pule, or wrest- 
ling; the Pentuthlon, which compre- 
hended the five diversions of leaping, 
running, quoiting, darting, and wrestling ; 
the Casius, a rough exercise, in: which 
the victory was most commonly, if net 
always, stained with blood ; the hands and 
arms of the combatants being usually 
bound with thongs of leather, or raw 
hides of bulls, up to the elbow, and not 
untfrequently lined with plates of lead or 
iron. The Pancratium partook both of 
the Ceestus, and the Palé. Horse-races, 
and chariot-races, concluded these dan- 
gerous sports.| The victors were re- 
warded with the most enthusiastic 
honours. They rece:ved the warm con- 
gratulations of thei friends, amid the 
tumultuous applause of a numerous as- 
sembly. Asthey passed along the Sta- 
dium, a shower of herbs and flowers 
poured on them irom every side, their 
heads were decorated with the olive- 
chaplet, or crown; and to complete their. 
triumph, their name formed an epoch in 
the history. of their country. The so- 
lemnization of these games concluded 
with a sacrifice, performed by the con- 
qguerors in honour of .the gods, some= 
times- with such prodigality of expen- 
diture, as to entertain the whole mul- 
bids ap eic ewer sn wierd Ts 
* Fifth book of his Journey through 
Greece. ne ; 
_ + For a more detailed account of these, 
sce West’s Dissertation on the Olymp. 
Games, in the 2d vol.of his Pindar, 
i titude, 
