Plutarch's morals. Part 2. translated from the Greek by several hands.

Question V. Why in reckoning up different kinds of Exercise, Homer puts Guffing first, Wrestling next, and Racing last?

THis Discourse being ended, and Philinus hum'd, Lysimachus began again, What sort of Exercise then shall we imagin to be first? Racing as at the Olympian Games; for here in the Pythian, as every Exercise comes on all the Contenders are brought in, the Boy Wrestlers first, then the Men, and the same method is observ'd when the Cuffers and Fencers are to Exercise, but there the Boys perform all first, and then the Men: But, says Timon interposing, pray consider whether Homer hath not determin'd this matter, for in his Poems Cuffing is always put in the first place, Wrestling next, and Racing last: At this Crates the Thessalian surpriz'd, cry'd out, good God, what things we skip over! But, pray Sir, if you remember any of his Verses to that pur∣pose, do us the favour to repeat them: And Ti∣mon reply'd. That the Funeral Solemnities of Pa∣troclus had this order, I think every one hath heard; but the Poet all along observing the same order, brings in Achilles speaking to Nestor thus,

With this reward I Nestor freely grace, Ʋnfit for Cuffing, Wrestling, or the Race:

And in his answer makes the old man imperti∣nently brag,

I Cuffing conquer'd Oinop's famous Son, With Anceus wrestled and the Garland won, And out-ran Iphiclus.

And again brings in Ʋlysses challenging the Pheacians.

To Cuff, to Wrestle, or to run the Race:

And Alcinous answer,

Neither in Cuffing, nor in Wrestling strong, But we are swift of Foot:

So that he doth not carelessly confound the or∣der, and according to the present occasion, now place one sort first, and now another; but fol∣lows the then custom and practice, and is con∣stant in the same; and this was so as long as the ancient order was observ'd: To this Discourse of my Brothers I subjoyn'd, that I liked what he said, but could not see the reason of this order; and some of the company thinking it unlikely that Cuffing or Wrestling should be a more ancient Exercise than Racing; they desir'd me to search farther into the matter, and thus I spake upon the sudden, all these Exercises seem to me to be re∣presentations of, and trainings to, Feats of Arms, for after all, a man arm'd at all points is brought in to shew that that is the end at which all these Exercises and trainings aim; and the Priviledge granted to the Conquerors, viz. as they ride into the City to throw down some part of the Wall, hath this meaning; That Walls are but a small advantage to that City which hath men able to fight, and overcome; and in Sparta those that were victors in any of the 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, Crown'd Games, had an honourable place in the Army, and were to fight near the Kings Person: Of all o∣ther creatures a Horse only can have a part in these Games, and win the Crown, for that alone is design'd by nature, or can be train'd to War, and prove assisting in a Battel: If these things seem probable, let us consider farther that 'tis the first work of a fighter to strike his Enemy, and ward the others blows; the second, when

they come up close, and lay hold of one another to trip and overturn him; and in this, they say, Our Country-men being better Westlers, very much distress'd the Spartans at the Battel of Leu∣ctra; and Aeschilus describes a Warrier thus,

One stout, and skill'd to wrestle in his Arms:

And Sophocles somewhere says of the Trojans,

They rid the Horse, they could the Bow command, And wrestle with a rattling Shield in hand.

But 'tis the third and last, either when Conquer'd, to fly; or when Conquerors, to pursue: And therefore 'tis likely that Cuffing is set first, Wrestling next, and Racing last; for the for∣mer bears the resemblance of charging, or war∣ding the blows, the second of close fighting, and repelling, and the third of flying a victorious, or pursuing a routed Enemy.