THE OLYMPIC CONTESTS.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXII, Issue 43, 15 February 1912, Page 8

THE OLYMPIC CONTESTS.

THEIR GENEALOGY AND SIGNIFICANCE. (By Dr. L. 0. S. Poidevin, in tlio “Sydney Morning Herald.”) The question of Australian representation at the Olympic Games, to bo held in Stockholm, Sweden, this year, is one that is at the present greatly exercising the. enthusiasm and energy of several sections of our sporting community. It is, of course, merely another aspect of that healthy spirit of international rivalry that finds easy expression in cricket test matches, in football “internationals,” and in Davis Cup contestsand, like them, it makes its appeal not only to the particular organisations concerned, but also to the nation and the national spirit. But it represents a good deal more than a mere outlet for that rivalry—more than a test of world’s supremacy for our swimmers, our runners, or our oarsmen, as the case may be. It is a link with the past, representing the ancient spirit of the Greeks in modern form and garb; in a sense it aptly epitomises the march of the world’s progress . As such it is highly interesting, and it sends our thoughts and inquiries speeding hurriedly back to its proennial days, and to its expression in the ancient prototypes of these modern games. Some ten miles from the western shores of the Peloponnesus, on the right bank of the . Aepheios, just .whore the Kladeos joins it, stands today a small town called Olympia. Here, practically on the same spot, nearly 1500 years 8.0., stood neither town nor village, hut only the Altik, or sacred enclosure, containing within it among other temples sacred to the lesser deities one dedicated to Zens, or Jupiter, the father of all' the gods who lived on the of Olympus, until the philosophers transferred their abode to the planetary spheres. Here, just outside the eastern wall of the Altis, tradition assorts that in 143 B.C. the first Stadium, 630 ft. in length, was laid out and built, though, perhaps, not in the same handsome style as the ,ono erected later in Athens. The shape of the course and the tiers of seats on either side point to its having been originally placed .in a hollow; while the stadium having been from time immemorial a unit for the measurement of length and distance, accounts for its dimensions and name. The old Roman mile consisted of 7\ stadia, or 4732 English feet, thus giving the stadium a length of exactly 632.26 feet. In the valley of Olympia in 1453 B.C. the Italian Hercules instituted the Olympic games in honour of Jupiter. Tradition, however, speaks rather uncertainly of their founder, and divides the honour of their inception with relops, who on some authority is credited with their inception in 1307 B.C. Pdlops was certainly regarded as the heroic prototype of. the victor at the .games, probably on account of his heating Aenomoas, King of Pisatio, in a chariot race.

Chariot-racing was not, however, included in the Pont'halon, or original five games; and the story itself of Pel ops suggests that the games were in vogue before he entered the lists. They took place every four years, and had for their object the exercising of the youth. Beginning on the first full moon of the summer solstice, they lasted five days. The Pentlhalon, or original contests, consisted of leaping, running, throwing the discus, throwing the spear, and wrestling. At first only Peloponnesians took pafit in the games; but gradually other Greek States were attracted to them, and the gathering soon became Pan-Hellenic. Only those of pure Hellenic blood, however, were allowed to compete. Many judges were appointed, and immediately after each contest the victor was given a palm leaf, while at the close of the games all the victors received wreaths of interwoven twigs cut from the sacred olive tree in .the Atlis; they were then presented to the assembled people, each with his prize palm branch in his hand, whi'le the heralds proclaimed his name ,and that of his father and State. These victors enjoyed lifelong distinction, which was also shared by their families and districts. On returning to their provinces they were accorded a triumphal procession, and usually enjoyed exemption from taxes. They had the privilege also of Greeting statues in the Atlis, which if they had won three events might bear their own features. In the time of the older Pliny (the first century A.D.) it is said that there still stood about 3000 such statues in the Sacred Grove, all within a level space about 600 feet long by nearly 580 broad. As the opening day approached the competitors wore required to take oath that they had undergone ten months’ training prescribed by law for those who wished to compete. Most of this preparatory training was undergone in the gymnasium beside the Sacred Grove and its sanctuaries and statues connected with the games, l and embodying all the necessary appliances required to “got fit” for the contests makes interesting contrast in many ways with our modern ideas on that subject. On the first day of the five that the games lasted, when the sides of the stadium had been transformed into a sea of faces, the judges and competitors passed through a special entrance into the arena. Silence reigned supreme, width on a given signal from the chief of the judges was brocn by the heralds, who announced the name, title, and province of each competitor. The judges then took their seats, and flit' contests began. As time wont on more games were | included in Hie programme, .and the I competitors were no longer limited j

to men of purely Greek kirtli. I lie Homans, after conquering Greece, .'■.ought and obtained the .privilege of ( ompeting. Even’ Emperors —Nero and Tiberius to wit—and illustrious men of letters took part in the festival. T'herodctus read part of bis history on one occasion; celebrated orators addressed the people; and painters exhibited their works. Later still the pure Greeks became less and less conspicuous among the competitors, and coincidentally the celebration of the games began to wane again. In ;;91 A I). they were, in fact, suppressed by the Emperor Theodosius, and the Olympic buildings destroyed. With due appropriateness it was a wealthy Greek, M. Zappas, who, in 1838, gave funds to re-establish the games under the auspices of the Queen of Greece. Hn 1891, an international congress, sitting in Paris, decided to rcv'ivo the contests, ,and it was resolved and arranged that the first revival should take place at Athens in 1896, on the seventy-fifth anniversary of the Greek independence. Then M. Averoff, of Alexandria, came forward, and it .was through his generosity and energy that the stadium at Athens was restored to its ancient splendour. Thus wore tho Olympic Games revived,

:Lh any modern contests included in the programme, and with athletes coming from France, England, Australia, and, in fact, from all over the world,! as well as from Greek territories., ,:,■■■ As, it well known, of course, they have keen hold since then in different plac.es; London the last,- at the old Olympiad intervals and in accordance w,itk the decision of the International Olympic Committee at its meeting in Berlin during 1909, the fifth celebration since the revival is to be, held, as already stated, at Stockholm, during the middle of this y oar., hi, ■ The whole arrangement of this celebration, is in the hands of the Swedish Olympic Committee, of which IT. Mi the King of Sweden is patron —ho will probably be a competitor in the lawn tennis—and H.R.H. the ■Crown Prince, honorary president. Elaborate preparations are being made by the 31 nations officially represented on the International Olympic Committee, so that each shall he represented by its best available talent in the great national championship athletic fray. Australasia (Australia and New Zealand are regarded as ore nation) has been represented at each series since the revival, and the organisation and equipment of our next representation is at present .occupying the energies of the various Olympic Councils of New Zealand, New South Wales, Victoria, and Tasmania; each has decided to select, equip; and finance its own section of the Australasian team. , ■ Now,, we are jealous enough of our national supremacy- pt cricket and lawn tennis, and it •should require no personal experience of these celebrations such'as 1 have had, to make us equally anxious to avin a similar supremacy in other branches of athleticism in the’ Olympic arena. Of course' our representation depends very largely on the funds that are forthcoming through the various ■ collecting channels, e'.g., the proceeds (of the championship swimming' carnival concluding to-day are being devoted to the despatch of swimming representatives. The visiting contestants are not now housed and fed by the State in which the contests take place, but there is a trace of that old idea in the Government subsidy that usually helps to defray the expenses of the men sent to uphold the national honour.”'{One wonders, however, whether the general appeal on their behalf is being made along sufficiently national ■ lines and with tire vigour and confidence that it deservos.