A complete dictionary of the Greek and Roman antiquities explaining the obscure places in classic authors and ancient historians relating to the religion, mythology, history, geography and chronology of the ancient Greeks and Romans, their ... rites and customs, laws, polity, arts and engines of war : also an account of their navigations, arts and sciences and the inventors of them : with the lives and opinions of their philosophers / compiled originally in French ... by Monsieur Danet ; made English, with the addition of very useful mapps.

ATHLETAE,

Wrestlers, or Combatants, courageous and strong Men, who addicted themselves to bodily Exercises, as running, fighting and others of like Natures, among the Greeks, and Romans, and for whom the Ancients appointed Prizes.

These Athletae were in great esteem among the Greeks but were infamous at Rome, for some time Ulpian the Lawyer freed them from the Marks of Infamy.

This is the way, by which they were matched in the Plays of the Cirque.

They took an Earthen Pot, into which they put certain Balls about the bigness of a Bean, on which was set an A, or a B, or some other Let∣ter, and always two Letters alike. Then the Champions come forth one after another, and made their Prayer to Jupiter, before they drew, and then put their Hands into the Pot, but the Herald of the Plays stretch∣ing out of his Rod hindered them from read∣ing their Tickets till they were all drawn. Presently one of the Judges, or some other Person took every ones Ball, and joined them together who had the same Letters; If the Number of the Athletae were odd, he that had the single Letter was to fight with the Conqueror, which was no small Advan∣tage, because he came fresh to the Com∣bate with him who was weary.

Their Food was Barly Bread, which was the Reason they were called Hordearii, i. e. Barly-eaters, and al∣so another sort of Bread, called Coliphia, of 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, Membra, and 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, Robusta, because it made their Bodies strong and robust. Some fed them with soft Cheese, and Dromeus was the first who fed them with Meat according to the Testimony of Pausanias in his Eliaca, who gives us the History of Four famous Athletae

of extraordinary Strength, of whom the first was POLYDAMAS the Thessalian, who in his Youth encountred and slew a Lion of a vast Bigness, which harboured in Mount Olympus, and infested the whole Country round about. Another time he took a fierce Bull by the hinder part, and pulled off both his Feet, and with one hand he stopped a Cha∣riot in its full Course. The 2d was Milo of Crotona, who knocked down a Bull with a Blow of his Fist, after he had carried him a long way upon his Back. The third was THEAGENES the Thasian, who took a Brazen Image off its pedestal, and car∣ried it a great way. The 4th. was EUTHI∣MUS a Native of Locris in Italy, who fought against an evil Spirit, which very much di∣sturbed the Inhabitants of Themessa, and con∣quered him, insomuch that he married the Damosel, who was carrying to be sacrificed to it, and freed the Country from that mischie∣vous Daemon.