Modern vs. Ancient Athletes.

Everybody must have been struck at one time or another by the truth of some of the facts about athletes stated in the current number of the "Nineteenth Century."

The most remarkable thing in connection with athleticism of all descriptions at the present time is the continued "cutting of records."

Since "records" have been registered with methodical exactitude it has been found, as was only likely, that every now and again some athlete has been able to surpass what has been done before in the various branches of sport. Particularly has this been the case in recent years, but the last one has been the most remarkable for the numerous "records" which have been cut. Week after week some fresh achievement has been accomplished, and there is scarcely a single branch of athletics in which one or more have not been registered. This has been so in every description of contest, and has caused astonishment to the older generation of athletes, who have seen the performances, which they have been in the habit of thinking approached the marvellous, exceeded again and again.

Does this indicate that the men of the present day are vastly superior in physical power to those of the past?

Taking the modern past first into consideration, I should say that in the majority of cases it certainly does not; the increased result of their exertions being in a great measure due to the improvements of the machines they use. This, however, is not always so, for, although in rowing, shooting, bicycling, etc., it may be, it can hardly be altogether so in running, cricket, jumping, &c., though even in these cases, to a certain extent, it is as the improvement in the condition of the grounds where the contests take place has something to do with the performances now accomplished.

With reference to the ancients, we know very little of the real performances of their athletes It is only very occasionally that any of the classical historians relate details, and some of these are obviously incorrect. For instance, it is recorded that the Grecian Phallos, with the aid of the "Halteeres" leaped a distance of 55 feet. "Halteeres" were something similar, to our dumb bells, which the Greeks held in their hands while leaping. They put their hands back, and, swinging them forward with a sudden motion, took the leap. There is no doubt thert use enabled them to jump further than they could have done without them. This has been proved by experience, 29 feet 7 inches having been covered in 1854 by an athlete with weights in his hands, whereas the "record" for the long jump at the annual Inter-University sports is only 22 feet 10 1-2 inches, which was made in 1874: and the longest distance ever known to have been jumped without the aid of weights, is the "record" of 23 feet 2 inches, made in 1883.

The foot races at the Olympic games were of three lengths - namely, once over the course or "stadion," as it was called, and which became the unit of the Greek road measure, being 600 Greek feet, equal to 606 feet 9 inches English: twice over it - that is, from one end to the other and back again; and the third 12, 20, or 24 times over, for the various reports are not clear as to which it was. Taking the longest distance, this would only be 14.562 English feet, or just over two and three-quarter miles; and yet when the Spartan Ladas dropped down dead on completing this course, apparently it was not considered a matter of great surprise, for it was evidently thought a wonderful performance for an athlete to be able to run so far. Now our runners would make light of such a distance and races for twenty miles or more continually take place.

The article proceeds to state that training had much to do with the ability to make wonderful records, and quotes the dietary rules of athletes of classic days.