foot races ended, but in thofe of chariots and horfes they were to run feveral times round it, without ftopping, and afterwards conclude the race by regaining the other extremity of the lifts, from whence they started. There were three kinds of races, the chariot, the horfe, and the foot-race. I fhall begin with the last, as the moft fimple, natural, and ancient. 1. Of the Foot-race. The runners, of whatever number they were, ranged themfelves in a line, after having drawn lots for their places. Whilft they waited the fignal to ftart, they practifed, by way of prelude, various motions to awaken their activity, and to keep their limbs pliable and in a right temper. They kept themfelves breathing by fmall leaps, and making little excurfions, which were a kind of trial of their fpeed and agility. Upon the fignal's being given, they flew towards the goal, with a rapidity fcarce to be followed by the eyes which was folely to decide the victory: for the Agoniftic laws prohibited, upon the most infamous penalties, the at taining it by any foul method. In the fimple race, the extent of the Stadium was run but once, at the end of which the prize attended the victor, that is, he who came in firft. In the race called Aau the competitors ran twice that length, that is, after having arrived at the goal, they returned to the bar. rier. To thefe may be added a third fort, called Axos, which was the longest of all, as its name implies, and *Tunc rite citatos Explorant, acuunque gradus, variafque per artes STRAT. Theb. lib. vi. v. 387, &c. They try, they roufe their speed, with various arts; was was compofed of feveral Diauli. Sometimes it confift... ed of twenty-four Stadia backwards and forwards, turning twelve times round the goal. X There were runners in ancient times, as well amongst the Greeks as Romans, who were much celebrated for their fwiftnefs. Pliny tells us, that it was thought prodigious in Phidippides to run eleven hundred and forty Stadia between Athens and Lacedæmon in the fpace of two days, till Anyftis of the latter place, and Philonides, the runner of Alexander the Great, made twelve hundfed Stadia in one day, from Sicione to Elis. These runners were denominated nepodpoμes, as we find in that paffage of Herodotus a, which mentions Phidippides. In the confulate of Fonteius and Vipsanus, in the reign of Nero, a boy of nine years old ran feventy-five thousand paces between noon and night. Pliny adds, that in his time there were runners, who ran one hundred and fixty thousand paces in the Cir cus. Our wonder at fuch a prodigious fpeed will inereafe (continues he) dif we reflect, that when Tiberius went to Germany to his brother Drufus, then at the point of death, he could not arrive there in lefs than four-and-twenty hours, though the diftance was but two hundred thoufand paces and he ran with three poftchaifes with the utmoft diligence. e b 2. Of the Horfe-races. The race of a fingle horse with a rider was lefs celebrated by the ancients, yet it had its favourers amongst the most confiderable perfons, and even kings themfelves, and was attended with uncommon glory to the victor. Pindar in his firft ode, celebrates a victory of this kind, obtained by Hiero, king of Syracufe, to whoi he gives the title of Kens, that is, Victor in the Horferace; which name was given to the liorfes carrying only 60 leagues. More than 53 leagues. 67 leagues. Plin 1. vii. c. 20. 57 leagues. a Herod. 1. vi. c. 106. b go leagues. d Val. Max. l. v. c. 5. He had only a guide and one officer with him. a fingle a fingle rider, Keλnes. Sometimes the rider led another horse by the bridle, and then the horfes were called Defultorii, and their riders Defultores; because, after a number of turns in the Stadium, they changed horfes, by dexterously vaulting from one to the other. A furprifing addrefs was neceffary upon this occafion, especially in an age unacquainted with the use of stirrups, and when the horses had no faddles, which ftill made the leap more difficult, In the armies there were alfo cavalry* called Defultores, who vaulted from one horfe to another, as occafion required, and were generally Numidians. 3. Of the Chariot-races. This kind of race was the most renowned of all the exercises used in the games of the ancients, and that from whence moft honour redounded to the victors ; which is not to be wondered at, if we confider their origin. It is plain, they were derived from the conftant custom of princes, heroes, and great men, of fighting in battle upon chariots. Homer has an infinity of examples of this kind. This being admitted as a custom, it is natural to fuppofe it very agrecable to thefe heroes, to have their charioteers as expert as poffible in driving, as their fuccefs depended, in a very great measure, upon the address of their drivers. It was anciently, therefore, only to perfons of the first confideration, that this office was confided. Hence arofe a laudable emulation to excel others in the art of guiding a chariot, and a kind of neceffity to practife it very much, for the attainment of it. The high rank of the perfons who made use of chariots enoble, as it always happens, an exercise peculiar to them. The other exercifes were adapted to private foldiers and horsemen, as wrestling, running, and the fingle horse-race; but the use of chariots in the field was always referved to princes and generals of armies. * Nec omnes Numida in dextro locati cornu, fed quibus defultorum in modum binos trahentibus equos, inter acerrimam fæpe pugnam, in recentem equum ex fesso armatis tranfultare mos erat : tanta velocitas ipfis, tamque docile equorum genus 4. Liv. lib. xxiii, Hence Hence it was, that all those who prefented themselves in the Olympic games to difpute the prize in the chariot races, were perfons confiderable either for their riches, their birth, their employments, or great actions. Kings themselves afpired paffionately to this glory, from the belief that the title of victor, in thefe games, was scarce inferior to that of conqueror, and that the Olympic palm added new dignity to the fplendours of a throne. Pindar's odes inform us, that Gelon and Hiero, kings of Syracufe, were of that opinion. Dionyfius, who reigned there long after them, carried the fame ambition much higher. Philip of Macedon had thefe victories ftamped upon his coins, and feemed as much affected with them, as with those obtained against the enemies of his state. All the world knows the answer of Alexander the Great on this fubject. When his friends afked him, whether he would difpute the prize of the races in these games? "Yes," fays he, "if kings were to be my antagonists." Which shows, that he would not have difdained these exercises, if there had been competitors in them worthy of him. The chariots were generally drawn by two or four horses, placed in a row; biga quadriga. Sometimes mules fupplied the place of horfes, and then the chariot was called an. Pindar, in the fifth of his first book, celebrates one Pfaumis, who had obtained a triple victory; one by a chariot drawn by four horfes, ripiny; another by one drawn by mules, an; and the third by a fingle horse, xéλnle which the title of the ode expreffes. These chariots, upon a fignal given, started together from a place called Carceres. Their places were regu lated by lot, which was not an indifferent circumstance as to the victory; for being to turn round a boundary, the chariot on the left was nearer than those on the right, which in confequence had a greater compafs to take. It appears from feveral paffages in Pindar, and especially from one in Sophocles, which I fhall cite very foon, that they ran twelve times round the Stadium. He that ← Plut. in Alex, p. 666. came came in firft the twelfth round was victor. The chief art confifted in taking the best ground at the turning of the boundary: for if the charioteer drove too near it, he was in danger of dafhing the chariot to pieces; and if he kept too wide of it, his nearest antagonist might cut the way upon him, and get foremost. It is obvious that thefe chariot-races could not be run without fome danger; for as the *motion of the wheels was very rapid, and grazed against the boundary, in turning, the leaft error in driving would have broken the chariot in pieces, and might have dangerously wounded the charioteer. An example of which we find in the Electra of Sophocles, who gives an admirable defcription of this kind of race run by ten competitors. The false Oreftes, at the twelfth and laft round, having only one antagonist, the reft having been thrown out, was fo unfortunate as to break one of his wheels against the boun dary, and falling out of his feat entangled in the reins, the horfes dragged him violently forwards along with them, and tore him to pieces; but this very feldom happened. To avoid fuch danger, Neftor gave the fol lowing directions to his fon Antilochus, who was going to difpute the prize in the chariot-races. My fon," fays he, " drive your horfes as near as poffible to the turning; for which reafon, always inclining your body over your chariot, get the left of your competitors, and encouraging the horfe on the right, give him the rein, whilft the near horfe, hard held, turns the boundary fo close to it, that the nave of the wheel feems to graze upon it; but have a care of running against the stone, left you wound your horfes, and dafh the chariot in pieces. f 66 Father Montfaucon mentions a difficulty, in his opi nion, very confiderable, in regard to the places of those who contended for the prize in the chariot-race. They all ftarted indeed from the fame line, and at the fame time, and fo far had no advantage of each other; but he, Hom. II. 1. xxii. v. $34, &c. Metaque fervidis Evitata rotis. HORAT. Od. i, whofe |