A-dictionary-of-greek-and-roman-antiquities-william-smith

.5(14 GYMNOPAEDIA.
GYNAECONOMI.
chief remedies. As for the other more commnn and also imitated the wild gestures ofthe worship of
exorcises, they were daily practised, as is manifest Dionysus. (Athen.xiv. p. 631.) Muller (Huf.o/Or.
from Celsus, Caelius Aurelianus, Theodoras Priscianus,
and the rest of the Latin physicians. And we that the dances of the gymnopaedia partly consist
Lit. vol. i. p. 161) supposes, with great probability,
do not want instances of cures wrought by these ed of mimic representations, as the establishment
means. Suetonius (Calig. c 3) tells us that Germanicus
was cured of a ** crurum gracilitas,'", as he festival was ascribed to the musicians, at the lu-ad
of the dances and musical entertainments at this
expresses it (by which he probably means an Atro of whom was Thaletas. (Plut. de Mus. c. 9.) The
phy), by riding ; and Plutarch, in his life of Cicero, whole season of the gymnopaedia, during which
gives us an account of his weakness, and that he re Sparta was visited by great numbers of strangers,
covered his health by travelling, and excessive dili was one of great merriment and rejoicings (Xen.
gence in rubbing and chafing his body. (Compare Memor. i. 2. § 61 ; Plut Agesil. 29 ; Pollux, iv.
Cic Brut, c 91.) Pliny (V/. N. xxxi. 33) tells 14. 104), and old bachelors alone seem to hare
us Annaeus Gallio, who had been consul, was cured been excluded from the festivities. (Osann, de
of a consumption by a sea voyage ; and Galen giv.s Cocfibum apud Veteres Popnlos Conditione Com
us such accounts of the good effects of particular montat. p. 7, &c.) The introduction of the gymno
exercises, and they were practised so universally paedia, which subsequently became of such import
by all classes, that it cannot be supposed but they ance as an institution for gymnastic and orchestic
must have been able to produce great and good performances, and for the cultivation of the poetic
effects. However, from an attentive perusal of and musical arts at Sparta, is generally assigned to
what we find on this subject in the classical au the year 665 B. c. (Compare Meursius, Orckedra,
thors, the reader can hardly fail of being convinced p. 12, &c. ; Creuzer, Commentat. Herod, i. p. 230 ;
that the ancients esteemed gymnastics too highly, Muller, Dor. vol. ii. p. 350, &c.) [L. S.]
just as the moderns too much neglect them ; and GYNAECONITIS. [Domus, pp. 423—
that in this, as in many other matters, both in 425.]
medicine and philosophy, truth lies between the
two extremes.
[W. A. G.]
GYMNASTES. [Gymnasium, p. 581, b.J
GYMNE'SII or GYMNE'TES (-v^o-hx, or
yv/ivTjrts), were a class of bond-slaves at Argos,
who may be compared with the Helots at Sparta.
(Steph. Byz. s. v. Xtos : Pollux, iii. 83.) Their
name shows that they attended their masters on
military service in the capacity of light-armed
troops. Muller (Dor. iii. 4. §2) remarks that it
is to these gymnesii that the account of Herodotus
(vi. 83) refers, that 6000 of the citizens of Argos
having been Blain in battle by Cleomenes, king of
Sparta (Id. vii. 148), the slaves got the govern
ment into their own hands, and retained possession
of it until the sons of those who had fallen had
grown to manhood. Afterwards, when the young
citizens had grown up, the slaves were compelled
by them to retire to Tiryns, and then after a long
war, as it appears, were either driven from the
territory, or again subdued.
GYMNOPAE'DIA (yvfiyorattta), the festi
val of " naked youths," was celebrated at Sparta
every year in honour of Apollo Pythaeus, Artemis,
and Leto. The statues of these deities stood in a
part of the Agora called x°P^y> and it was around
these statues that, at the gymnopaedia, Spartan
youths performed their choruses and dances in
honour of Apollo. (Paus. iii. 1 1. § 7.) The festival
lasted for several, perhaps for ten, days, and on
the last day men also performed choruses and
dances in the theatre ; and during these gymnastic
exhibitions they sang the songs of Thaletas and
Alcman, and the paeans of Dionysodotus. The
leader of the chorus (TrpoardT-ns or x°PO7r0"is)
wore a kind of chaplct, called