Dictionary of Greek and Roman antiquities. Ed. by William Smith. Illustrated by numerous engravings on wood.

PA:LAESTRA. PALILIA. 84,I9
plough-share, viz. by casing its extremity with- senses at various periods, and its exact meaning,
iron. (Colum. x. 45.) The annexed woodcut, taken especially in relation to the gymnasium, has occafrom a funeral monument at Rome (Fabretti, In- sioned much controversy among modern writers.
scrip. Ant. p. 574), exhibits a deceased countryman It first occurs in Herodotus (vi. 126, 123), who
with his faix and bidens, and also with a pals, says that Cleisthenes of Sicyon built a dromos and
modified by the addition of a strong cross-bar, by a palaestra, both of which he calls by the general
the use of which he was enabled to drive it nearly name of palaestra. At Athens, however, there
twice as deep into the ground as he could have was a considerable number of palaestrae, quite
done without it. In this form the inlstrument was distinct from the gymnasia, which were called
by the names either of their founders, or of the
teachers who gave instruction there; thus, for example, we read of the palaestra of Taureas. (Plat.
C/sarm'Zid. init.) Krause (Gyns7sastilck nd Agonistikl
der IflelleEzen, p. 117, &c.) contends that the palaestrae at Athens were appropriated to the gymnastic exercises of boys and youths (sraeEs and
eitpd tta), and the gymnasia to those of men; but
Becker (C/larikles, vol. i. pp. 311, 335, &c.) has
shown that this cannot be the true distinction, altlough lit appears that certain places were,for obvious:/ \- / _reasons, appropriated to the exclusive use of boys.
(Aesch. c. Tisarlch. p. 35, Reiske.) But that the
boys exercised in the gymnasia as well, is plain
from many passages (Antiph. de Caed. invol. p.
-\t/ / u 661, Reiske; rais &cpaos a7ro yvumvaiov, Aristoph.
-Av. 138, 140); while, on the other hand, we read
of men visiting the palaestrae. (Lucian, Navig. 4.
vol. iii. p. 251, Reitz.)
I t appears most probable that the Palaestrae
were, during the flourishing times of the Greek
republics, chiefly appropriated to the exercises of
wrestling and of the pancratium, and were principally intended for the athletae, who, it must
be recollected, were persons that contended in the
called bipaliztne, beinlg employed inl trenching (pas- public games, and therefore needed special train.
tinatio), or, when the ground was full of roots to ing. This is expressly stated by Plutarch (Synsp.
a considerable depth, in loosening them, turning ii. 4), who sa-s, " that the place in which all the
them over, and extirpating them, so as to prepare atlhletae exercise is called a palaestra;" and we
the soil for planting vines and other trees. By also learn fironl Pausanias (v. 15. ~ 5, vi. 21. ~ 2),
means of this implement, which is still used in that there were at Olympia palaestrae especially
Italy and called vanga, tle ground was dug to the devoted to the athletes. In Athenaeus (x. p.
depth of two spades or nearly two feet. (Plin. 417, f.) -we read of the great athletes Damippus
II. N. xviii. 26. s. 62;. Cat. de Re Rust. 6, 45, coming out of the palaestra; and Galen (arepl Tro
151; Varr. de Re Rust. i. 37; Col. de Re Rust. ti flncpas r-paipaas 7yvtraal ov, c. 5) places the
v. 6. p. 214, xi. 3. p. 450, ed. Bip.) atlletae in the palaestra. (Krause, Ibid. p. 115.)
Cato (Ibid. 11) mentions wrooden spades (palets The Romans had originally no places correspond-!i.igzeas) taongiel0 the implements necessary to the ing to the Greek gymnasia and palaestrae; and
husbandlman. One principal application of them when townards the close of the republic, wealthy
was in winnowing. The winnowing-shovel, also Romans,: in imitation of the Greeks, began to build
called in Latin ventilabsrns7, is still generally used places for exercise in their villas, they called themn
in Greece, and the made of employing it is ex- indifferently gymiasiaandpalaestrae. (Cic. ad Att.
hibited by Stuart in his "' Antiquities of Athens." i. 4, 8, 9, 10,. ad Qu. Fr. iii. 1. ~ 2, Verr. v. 72.)
The corn which has been threshed lies in a heap The words were thus used by the Romans as
upon the floor, and the labourer throws it to a dis- synonymous; and accordingly we find that Vitrutance with the shovel, whilst the wind, blowing -ius (v. 11) gives a description of a Greek gymstrongly across the direction in which it is thrown, nasium ander the name of palaestra.
drives the chaff and refuse to one side. (Theocrit. PALA'RIA. [PALUS..].
vii. 156; Matt. iii. 12; Lulke, iii. 17.) The fruit of PALATI/NI LUDI. [LUDI PALATINI.]
leguminous plants was purified and adapted to be PALE (7rdxA). [LUCTA.]
used for food in the same manner. (Horn. I. v. PALItLIA, a festival celebrated at Rome every
499-502, xiii. 588-592.) year on the 21st of April, in honour of Pales, the
The terml pala was applied anciently, as it is in tutelary divinity of shepherds. Some of the ancient
modern Italian, to the blade or broad part of an writers called this festival Parilia, deriving the
oar. [REMus.] In a rinlg the broad part, which name from pario, because sacrifices were offered
held the gem, was called by the name of palc on that day pro partu pecoris. (Fest. s. v. Pales;
[ANNULUS.] rJ. Y.] compare Popularia sacsra; Varro, de Ling. Lat.
PALAESTE. [PALievs; MEImNsuRA,p.751,b.] vi. 15; Dionys. i. 88.) The 21st of April was the
PALAESTRA (mraAeosirpa) properly imeans a day on which, according to the early traditions of
place for wrestling (7raAaiely, raciKl), and appears Rome, Romulus had commenced the building of
to have originally formed a part of the gymna- the city, so that the festival was at the same tinme
asim. The word was, however, used in different solesmnised as the dies natalitius of Rome (Fest.
3r