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Taranaki Daily News, Volume LV, Issue 58, 26 July 1912, Page 4

THE OLYMPIC GAMES. With the best intentions in the world a correspondent writes good-humoredly pointing out that the newspaper press is not infallible, and quoting as an illus-, tratioii that we referred to the Olympic gahies -as an Olympiad, whereas even the most ordinary dictionary (limited and reduced) explains that the Olympiad was the period between the Olympic games. We cheerfully admit the soft impeachment, comfortable in the belief that our dreadful error will not put the dairy industry back four years, nor make the' number 2.97,568 oil bore cease from gurgling, nor scare all the iron out of the sand for a radius of ten miles round Paritutu. Xor <!o we. think the backblocks settlers are particularly concerned as to whether an •'Olympiad'' is something' to eat or a new form of hobbleskirt. Wherefore our casual inaccuracy is not calculated to make the nations tremble or cause us to permanently lock the front door and order a new suit of sackcloth with allies trimmings. With this complete and abject apology to the public in general and to Miltiades and Zeus and "whatever other gods there be" we invoke the assistance of our pet solicitor Lempriere, and as the Olympic games loom momentarily large in the public.; .eye, venture to' suggest something of their origin; When a wealthy Greek in 1888 gave money to re-establish the world-famed Olympic Games, celebrated in Greece from time immemorial until the Roman Emperor Theodosius suppressed' them in A.D. 394. he caught occasion on the wing. Sport enthusiasts of various countries caught up the suggestion eagerly, and the Games were revived at Athens in 18!)6. Since then they have been held, as of old, every fifth- year—that is. there must be four complete years between them according to the old Greek mode of computing the "Olympiads" which formed their chronology. The last was held in London, the present in I he capital of Sweden. In this the modern Olympias differ from the most ancient, which were held at Klli.s, in the Peloponneus. near a etatuc of Zeus, which was one of the seven wonders of the world—although other Games were afterwards held at other centres in honor- of the local gods, such as A[ioilo at Dclpjii. The old Greek Games filled a far more important part in .tli-* national life than the modern Olympic (James are ever likely to- fill. They were religious and social and trade gatherings, as well as athletic festivals. People flocked to them to meet their friends, transact mercantile business, talk politics, publish or advertise new works or new inventions, and honor the gods, as well as to enjoy the sports. Thus they were like the great fairs <-;■ kennesses. chunh fairs and holy da- s of mediaeval times; and in one way r.ai | unlike the nathtmaal or Lord's Supper I meetings of th? South African liners, J who sometimes travel hundreds of miles [ to these quarterly assemblies. Tn ath- | letics the earnest aontest was the stadion, or -200 yards (about) foot race; for fifty years this was the only race. Afterwards came the diatrlos.' twice that dM:nice: ih- lou;.; race, of twenty-four -■lndia: v. re! ling, boxing, foot races in heavy araaor. chariot races, foal races, horse raves, leaping, throwing the (|iioit, javelin-throwing. oo:it.s(s for heralds and''trumpeters, and. at some centres, gieat art contests for painters, pools and dramatists, something like Welsh ..eisitsddfoddau on a large' scale. One famous athletic contest was the "panoration." a. combination of boxing, wrestling, kicking, biting, gouging, or anything else, the combatants, who were naked and unarmed, being allowed to me airy-kind of violence they liked to overcome their adversary. Another «reat "evont" was the "pentkalon," or contest of five kinds, in which the winner must be best in three, the five being a race, wrestling, boxing, throwing the discus or quoit, and throwing the spear. In all Hie,competitions, except with armor, the competitors were absolutely nude. The Greeks took all this very seriously. The prizes were but olive-wreaths or olivecrowns, but the conqueror* were sung of in the odes, had statues of themselves erected.- and were received into their native cities not through the gates, hut through openings specially made in the wails. There was much formality about choosing them, and seeing to their good character. But Avhen we hear that their runners started,shouting we doubt their ability to do .•'even-time" in sprinting; and when we read that their boxers, whose fists were weighted with loaded leather gloves, tried to-knock each other out bv swinging round at one another's oars instead of striking straight from the shoulder, wo know that either Johnson or Flynn Avould have tieen good enough for them',;; -Then their way of training

—a very foolish way . They had to swear they had trained for ten months before the Games. Apparently some of the American competitors have pursued this plan. We 'hope the British, in spite of their fussy newspapers and patrons, will never waste so much time on the work. What is needed, as sensible commentators have been pointing out, is not a few highly-trained professions and a large number of shouters and bettors, but an all-round fitness and efficiency and ability, shared by the nation in general.