4
Wherever you look, every one busy—rising on his toes, jumping up and kicking the air, or something.
5
Now I want to know what is the good of it all. To me it looks more like madness than anything else. It will not be very easy to-convincé me that people who behave like this are not wrong in their heads.
6
Solon It is quite natural it should strike you that way, being so novel, and so utterly contrary to Scythian customs. Similarly you have no doubt many methods and habits that would seem extraordinary enough to us Greeks, if we were spectators of them as you now are of ours. But be reassured, my dear sir; these proceedings are not madness; it is no spirit of violence that sets them hitting each other, wallowing in clay, and sprinkling dust. The thing has its use, and its delight too, resulting in admirable physical condition. If you make some stay, as I imagine you will, in Greece, you are bound to be either a clay-bob or a dust-bob before long; you will be so taken with the pleasure and profit of the pursuit.
6
Anacharsis Hands off, please. No, I wish you all joy of your: pleasures and your profits; but if any of you treats me like that, he will find out that we do not wear scimetars for ornament.
7
But would you mind giving a name to all this? What are we to say they are doing?
7
Solon The place is called a gymnasium, and is dedicated to the Lycean Apollo. You see his statue there; the one leaning on the pillar, with a bow in the left hand. The right arm bent over the head indicates that the God is resting after some great exertion.
8
Of the exercises here, that in the clay is called wrestling; the youths in the dust are also called wrestlers, and those who strike each other standing are engaged in what we call the pancratium. But we have other gymnasiums for boxing, quoitthrowing, and high-jumping; and in all these we hold contests, the winner in which is honoured above all his contemporaries, and receives prizes.
9
Anacharsis Ah, and what are the prizes, now?
