BURIED CITIES, PART 2 OLYMPIA BY JENNIE HALL Author of "Four Old Greeks, " Etc. Instructor in History and English inthe Francis W. Parker School, Chicago With Many Drawings and Photographs From Original Sources The publishers are grateful to the estate of Miss Jennie Hall and to hermany friends for assistance in planning the publication of this book. Especial thanks are due to Miss Nell C. Curtis of the Lincoln School, New York City, for helping to finish Miss Hall's work of choosing thepictures, and to Miss Irene I. Cleaves of the Francis Parker School, Chicago, who wrote the captions. It was Miss Katharine Taylor, now ofthe Shady Hill School, Cambridge, who brought these stories to ourattention. FOREWORD: TO BOYS AND GIRLS Do you like to dig for hidden treasure? Have you ever found Indianarrowheads or Indian pottery? I knew a boy who was digging a cave ina sandy place, and he found an Indian grave. With his own hands heuncovered the bones and skull of some brave warrior. That brown skullwas more precious to him than a mint of money. Another boy I knew wasmaking a cave of his own. Suddenly he dug into an older one made yearsbefore. He crawled into it with a leaping heart and began to explore. Hefound an old carpet and a bit of burned candle. They proved that someone had lived there. What kind of a man had he been and what kindof life had he lived--black or white or red, robber or beggar oradventurer? Some of us were walking in the woods one day when we saw abone sticking out of the ground. Luckily we had a spade, and we set towork digging. Not one moment was the tool idle. First one bone and thenanother came to light and among them a perfect horse's skull. We felt asthough we had rescued Captain Kidd's treasure, and we went home drapedin bones. Suppose that instead of finding the bones of a horse we had uncovered agold-wrapped king. Suppose that instead of a deserted cave that boyhad dug into a whole buried city with theaters and mills and shops andbeautiful houses. Suppose that instead of picking up an Indian arrowheadyou could find old golden vases and crowns and bronze swords lying inthe earth. If you could be a digger and a finder and could choose yourfind, would you choose a marble statue or a buried bakeshop with breadtwo thousand years old still in the oven or a king's grave filled withgolden gifts? It is of such digging and such finding that this booktells. CONTENTS: 1. Two Winners of Crowns 2. How a City Was Lost _Pictures of Olympia_: Entrance to Stadion Gymnasium Boys in Gymnasium Temple of Zeus The Labors of Herakles The Statue of Victory The Hermes of Praxiteles The Temple of Hera Head of an Athlete A Greek Horseman OLYMPIA TWO WINNERS OF CROWNS The July sun was blazing over the country of Greece. Dust from the dryplain hung in the air. But what cared the happy travelers for dust orheat? They were on their way to Olympia to see the games. Every roadteemed with a chattering crowd of men and boys afoot and on horses. Theywound down from the high mountains to the north. They came along thevalley from the east and out from among the hills to the south. Up fromthe sea led the sacred road, the busiest of all. A little caravan of menand horses was trying to hurry ahead through the throng. The masterrode in front looking anxiously before him as though he did not see thecrowd. After him rode a lad. His eyes were flashing eagerly here andthere over the strange throng. A man walked beside the horse and watchedthe boy smilingly. Behind them came a string of pack horses with slavesto guard the loads of wine and food and tents and blankets for theirmaster's camp. "What a strange-looking man, Glaucon!" said the boy. "He has a darkskin. " The boy's own skin was fair, and under his hat his hair was golden. Ashe spoke he pointed to a man on the road who was also riding at the headof a little caravan. His skin was dark. Shining black hair covered hisears. His garment was gay with colored stripes. "He is a merchant from Egypt, " answered the man. "He will have curiousthings to sell--vases of glass, beads of amber, carved ivory, andscrolls gay with painted figures. You must see them, Charmides. " But already the boy had forgotten the Egyptian. "See the chariot!" he cried. It was slowly rolling along the stony road. A grave, handsome man stoodin it holding the reins. Beside him stood another man with a staff inhis hand. Behind the chariot walked two bowmen. After them followed along line of pack horses led by slaves. "They are the delegates fromAthens, " explained Glaucon. "There are, doubtless, rich gifts for Zeuson the horses and perhaps some stone tablets engraved with new laws. " But the boy was not listening. "Jugglers! Jugglers!" he cried. And there they were at the side of the road, showing their tricks andbegging for coins. One man was walking on his hands and tossing a ballabout with his feet. Another was swallowing a sword. "Stop, Glaucon!" cried Charmides, "I must see him. He will killhimself. " "No, my little master, " replied the slave. "You shall see him again atOlympia. See your father. He would be vexed if we waited. " And there was the master ahead, pushing forward rapidly, looking neitherto the right hand nor the left. The boy sighed. "He is hurrying to see Creon. He forgets me!" he thought. But immediately his eyes were caught by some new thing, and his facewas gay again. So the little company traveled up the sloping road amidinteresting sights. For here were people from all the corners of theknown world--Greeks from Asia in trailing robes, Arabs in white turbans, black men from Egypt, kings from Sicily, Persians with their curledbeards, half civilized men from the north in garments of skin. "See!"said Glaucon at last as they reached a hilltop, "the temple!" He pointed ahead. There shone the tip of the roof and its gold ornament. Hovering above was a marble statue with spread wings. "And there is Victory!" whispered Charmides. "She is waiting for Creon. She will never wait for me, " and he sighed. The crowd broke into a shout when they saw the temple. A company ofyoung men flew by, singing a song. Charmides passed a sick man. Theslaves had set down his litter, and he had stretched out his handstoward the temple and was praying. For the sick were sometimes curedby a visit to Olympia. The boy's father had struck his heels into hishorse's sides and was galloping forward, calling to his followers tohasten. In a few moments they reached higher land. Then they saw the sacredplace spread out before them. There was the wall all around it. Insideit shone a few buildings and a thousand statues. Along one sidestretched a row of little marble treasure houses. At the far corner laythe stadion with its rows of stone seats. Nearer and outside the wallwas the gymnasium. Even from a distance Charmides could see men runningabout in the court. "There are the athletes!" he thought. "Creon is with them. " Behind all these buildings rose a great hill, dark green with trees. Down from the hill poured a little stream. It met a wide river thatwound far through the valley. In the angle of these rivers lay Olympia. The temple and walls and gymnasium were all of stone and looked asthough they had been there forever. But in the meadow all around thesacred place was a city of winged tents. There were little shapelessones of skins lying over sticks. There were round huts woven of rushes. There were sheds of poles with green boughs laid upon them. There weretall tents of gaily striped canvas. Farther off were horses tethered. And everywhere were gaily robed men moving about. Menon, Charmides'father, looking ahead from the high place, turned to a slave. "Run on quickly, " he said. "Save a camping place for us there on MountKronion, under the trees. " The man was off. Menon spoke to the other servants. "Push forward andmake camp. I will visit the gymnasium. Come, Charmides, we will go tosee Creon. " They rode down the slope toward Olympia. As they passed among the tentsthey saw friends and exchanged kind greetings. "Ah, Menon!" called one. "There is good news of Creon. Every one expectsgreat things of him. " "I have kept room for your camp next my tent, Menon, " said another. "Here are sights for you, Charmides, " said a kind old man. Charmides caught a glimpse of gleaming marble among the crowd andguessed that some sculptor was showing his statues for sale. Yonder wasa barber's tent. Gentlemen were sitting in chairs and men were cuttingtheir hair or rubbing their faces smooth with stone. In one place aman was standing on a little platform. A crowd was gathered about himlistening, while he read from a scroll in his hands. But the boy had only a glimpse of these things, for his father washurrying on. In a moment they crossed a bridge over a river and stoppedbefore a low, wide building. Glaucon helped Charmides off his horse. Menon spoke a few words to the porter at the gate. The man opened thedoor and led the visitors in. Charmides limped along beside his father, for he was lame. That was what had made him sigh when he had seenVictory hovering over Olympia. She would never give him the olivebranch. But now he did not think of that. His heart was beating fast. His eyes were big. For before him lay a great open court baking in thesun. More than a hundred boys were at work there, leaping, wrestling, hurling the disk, throwing spears. During the past months they had beenliving here, training for the games. The sun had browned their barebodies. Now their smooth skins were shining with sweat and oil. As theybent and twisted they looked like beautiful statues turned brown andcome alive. Among them walked men in long purple robes. They seemed tobe giving commands. "They are the judges, " whispered Glaucon. "They train the boys. " All around the hot court ran a deep, shady portico. Here boys lay onthe tiled floor or on stone benches, resting from their exercise. NearCharmides stood one with his back turned. He was scraping the oil anddust from his body with a strigil. Charmides' eyes danced with joyat the beauty of the firm, round legs and the muscles moving in theshoulders. Then the athlete turned toward the visitors and Charmidescried out, "Creon!" and ran and threw his arms around him. Then there was gay talk; Creon asked about the home and mother andsisters in Athens, for he had been here in training for almost tenmonths. Menon and Charmides had a thousand questions about the games. "I know I shall win, father, " said Creon softly. "Four nights ago Hermesappeared to me in my sleep and smiled upon me. I awoke suddenly andthere was a strange, sweet perfume in the air. " Tears sprang into his father's eyes. "Now blessed be the gods!" hecried, "and most blessed Hermes, the god of the gymnasium!" After a little Menon and Charmides said farewell and went away throughthe chattering crowd and up under the cool trees on Mount Kronion totheir camp. The slaves had cut poles and set them up and thrown a widelinen cover over them. Under it they had put a little table holdinglumps of brown cheese, a flat loaf of bread, a basket of figs, a pileof crisp lettuce. Just outside the tent grazed a few goats. A man in asoiled tunic was squatted milking one. Menon's slave stood waiting and, as his master came up, he took the big red bowl of foaming milk andcarried it to the table. The goatherd picked up his long crook andstarted his flock on, calling, "Milk! Milk to sell!" Menon was gay now. His worries were over. His camp was pitched in apleasant place. His son was well and sure of victory. "Come, little son, " he called to Charmides. "You must be as hungry as awolf. But first our thanks to the gods. " A slave had poured a little wine into a flat cup and stood now offeringit to his master. Menon took it and held it high, looking up into theblue heavens. "O gracious Hermes!" he cried aloud, "fulfill thy omen! And to Zeus, thefather, and to all the immortals be thanks. " As he prayed he turned the cup and spilled the wine upon the ground. That was the god's portion. A slave spread down a rug for his masterto lie upon and put cushions under his elbow. Glaucon did the same forCharmides, and the meal began. Menon talked gaily about their journey, the games to-morrow, Creon's training. But Charmides was silent. At lasthis father said: "Well, little wolf, you surely are gulping! Are you so starved?" "No, " said Charmides with full mouth. "I'm in a hurry. I want to seethings. " His father laughed and leaped to his feet. "Just like me, lad. Come on!" Charmides snatched a handful of figs and rolled out of the tentsquealing with joy. Menon came after him, laughing, and Glaucon followedto care for them. "The sun is setting, " said Menon. "It will soon bedark, and to-morrow are the games. They will keep us busy when theybegin, so you must use your eyes to-day if you want to see the fair. " He stopped on the hillside and looked down into the sacred place. "It is wonderful!" he said, half to himself. "The home of glory! I loveevery stone of it. I have not been here since I myself won the singlerace. And now my son is to win it. That was when you were a baby, Charmides. " "I know, father, " whispered the boy with shining eyes. "I have kissedyour olive wreath, where it hangs above our altar at home. " The father put his hand lovingly on the boy's yellow head. "By the help of Hermes there soon will be a green one there for you tokiss, lad. The gods are very good to crown our family twice. " "I wish there were crowns for lame boys to win, " said Charmides. "Iwould win one!" He said that fiercely and clenched his fist. His father looked kindlyinto his eyes and spoke solemnly. "I think you would, my son. Perhaps there are such crowns. " They started on thoughtfully and soon were among the crowd. There werea hundred interesting sights. They passed an outdoor oven like a littleround hill of stones and clay. The baker was just raking the fire out ofthe little door on the side. Charmides waited to see him put the loavesinto the hot cave. But before it was done a horn blew and called himaway to a little table covered with cakes. "Honey cakes! Almond cakes! Fig cakes!" sang the man. "Come buy!" There they lay--stars and fish and ships and temples. Charmides pickedup one in the shape of a lyre. "I will take this one, " he said, and solemnly ate it. "Why are you so solemn, son?" laughed Menon. The boy did not answer. He only looked up at his father with deep eyesand said nothing. But in a moment he was racing off to see some ropedancers. "Glaucon, " said the master to the slave, "take care of the boy. Give hima good time. Buy him what he wants. Take him back to camp when he istired. I have business to do. " Then he turned to talk with a friend, who had come up, and Glauconfollowed his little master. What a good time the boy had! The rope dancers, the sword swallowers, the Egyptian with his painted scroll, a trained bear that wrestled witha wild-looking man dressed in skins, a cooking tent where whole sheepwere roasting and turning over a fire, another where tiny fish wereboiling in a great pot of oil and jumping as if alive--he saw them all. He stood under the sculptors' awning and gazed at the marble people morebeautiful than life. And when he came upon Apollo striking his lyre, hisheart leaped into his mouth. He stood quiet for a long time gazing atthis god of song. Then he walked out of the tent with shining eyes. At last it grew dark, and torches began to blaze in front of the booths. "Shall we go home, Charmides?" said Glaucon. "Oh, no!" cried the boy. "I haven't seen it all. I am not tired. It isgayer now than ever with the torches. See all those shining flames. " And he ran to a booth where a hundred little bronze lamps hung, eachwith its tongue of clear light. It was an imagemaker's booth. The tablestood full of little clay statues of the gods. Charmides took up one. Itwas a young man leaning against a tree trunk. On his arm he held a baby. "It is a model of the great marble Hermes in the temple of Hera, mylittle master, " said the image maker. "Great Praxiteles made that one, poor Philo made this one. " "It is beautiful, " said Charmides and turned away, holding it tenderlyin his hand. Glaucon waited a moment to pay for the figure. Then he followedCharmides who had walked on. He was standing on the bridge gazing at thewater. "Glaucon, " he said, "I must see that statue of Hermes. " They stood there talking about the wonderful works of Praxiteles and ofmany another artist. Glaucon pointed to a little wooden shed lying inthe meadow. "That, " he said, "is the workshop of Phidias. There he made the gold andivory statue of Zeus that you shall see in Zeus's temple. That workshopwill stay there many a year, I think, for people to love because sogreat a thing was done there. " "Is it so wonderful?" asked Charmides. "When it was finished, " Glaucon answered solemnly, "Phidias stood beforeit and prayed to Zeus to tell him whether it pleased the god. Great Zeusheard the prayer, and in his joy at the beautiful thing he hurled ablazing thunderbolt and smote the floor before the statue as if to say, 'This image is Zeus himself. ' But I have never seen it, for a slave maynot pass the sacred wall. " Now the full moon had risen, and the world was swimming in silver light. The statue of Victory hung over the sacred place on spread wings. Manyanother great form on its high pillar seemed standing in the deep skyabove the world. The little pool in the pebbly river had stars in thebottom. "This Kladeos is a savage little river in the spring, " said Glaucon. "Ittries to tear away our Olympia or drown it or cover it with sand. Yousee, men have had to fence it in with stone walls. " But Charmides was looking at the sacred place and its soft shiningstatues in the sky. "Let us walk around the wall, " he said. So they left the river and passed the gymnasium and the gate. Along thisside the wall cast a wide shadow. Here they walked in silence. Herethere were no tents, no torches, no noisy people. Everything was quietin the evening air. The far-off sounds of the fair were a gentle hum. Ahundred pictures were floating in Charmides' mind--Phidias, Zeus, Creonwith the strigil, his own little Hermes, the strange people in the fair, the marble Apollo under the sculptor's tent. In a few moments theyturned a corner and came out into the soft moonlight. A little beyondgleamed a broad river, the Alphaeus. Charmides and the slave went overand strolled along its banks. Here they were again in the crowd andamong tents. They saw a group of people and went toward them. A mansat on a low knoll a little above the crowd. His hair hung about hisshoulders and his long robe lay in glistening folds about his feet. Alyre rested on his knees, and he was striking the strings softly. Thesweet notes floated high in the moonlit air. At last he lifted his voiceand sang: When the swan spreadeth out his wings to alight On the whirling pools of the foaming stream, He sendeth to thee, Apollo, a note. When the sweet-voiced minstrel lifteth his lyre And stretcheth his hand on the singing string, He sendeth to thee, Apollo, a prayer. Even so do I now, a worshiping bard, With my heart lifted up to begin my lay, Cry aloud to Apollo, the lord of song. Then he sang of that lordliest of all minstrels, Orpheus--how the treesswung circling about to his music; how the savage beasts lay down at hisfeet to listen; how the rocks rose up at his bidding and followed him, dancing, to build a town without hands; how he went to the dismal landof the dead to seek his wife and with his clear lyre and sweet voicedrew tears from the iron heart of the king of hell and won back hisloved Eurydice and lost her again the same hour. The boy, sitting there in the moonlight, went floating away on the songuntil he felt himself straying through that fair garden of the dead withsinging lyre or riding with Artemis through the sky in her moon chariot. When the song was ended, Glaucon said, "Come, little master, you havefallen asleep. Let us go home. " And Charmides rose and went, still clutching his image of Hermes in hishand and still holding the song fast in his heart. In the morning the whole great camp was awake and moving long beforedaylight. Every man and boy was in his fairest clothes. On every headwas a fresh fillet. Every hand bore some beautiful gift for the gods--avase, a plate of gold, an embroidered robe, a basket of silver. All werepouring to the open gate in the sacred wall. Here a procession formed. Young men led cattle with gilded horns and swinging garlands, or sheepwith clean, combed wool. Stately priests in long chitons paced to themusic of flutes. The judges glowed in their purple robes. Then walkedthe athletes, their eyes burning with excitement. And last came all thevisitors with gift-laden hands. The slaves and foreigners crowded atthe gate to see the procession pass, for on this first holy day onlyfreedmen and Greeks of pure blood might visit the sacred shrines. WhenCharmides passed through, his heart leaped. Here was no empty field witha few altars. He had never seen a greater crowd in the busy market placeat home in Athens. But here the people were even more beautiful thanthe Athenians. Their limbs were round and perfect. They stood alwaysgracefully. Their garments hung in delicate folds, for they were peoplemade by great artists--people of marble and of bronze. All the gods ofOlympos were there, and athletes of years gone by, wrestling, running, hurling the disc. There were bronze chariots with horses of bronze todraw them and men of bronze to hold the reins. There were heroes of Troystill fighting. And here and there were little altars of marble orstone or earth or ashes with an ancient, holy statue. At every one theprocession halted. The priests poured a libation and chanted a prayer. The people sang a hymn. Many left gifts piled about the altar. BeforeHermes Charmides left his little clay image of the god. And whilethe priests prayed aloud, the boy sent up a whispered prayer for hisbrother. Once the procession came before a low, narrow temple. It was ofsun-dried bricks coated with plaster. Its columns were all differentfrom one another. Some were slender, others thick; some fluted, othersplain; and all were brightly painted. Charmides smiled up at his father. "It is not so beautiful as the Parthenon, " he said. "No, " his father answered, "but it is very old and very holy. Everygeneration of man has put a new column here. That is why they are notalike. This is the ancient temple of Hera. " Then they entered the door. Down the long aisle they walked betweensmall open rooms on either side. Here stood statues gazing out--some ofmarble, some of gold and ivory. The priests had moved to the front andstood praying before the ancient statues of Zeus and Hera. But suddenlyCharmides stopped and would go no farther. For here, in a little roomall alone, stood his Hermes with the baby Dionysus. The boy cried outsoftly with joy and crept toward the lovely thing. He gently touched thegolden sandal. He gazed into the kind blue eyes and smiled. The marblewas delicately tinted and glowed like warm skin. A frail wreath ofgolden leaves lay on the curling hair. Charmides looked up at the tinybaby and laughed at its coaxing arms. "Are you smiling at him?" he whispered to Hermes. "Or are you dreamingof Olympos? Are you carrying him to the nymphs on Mount Nysa?" And thenmore softly still he said, "Do not forget Creon, blessed god. " When his father came back he found him still gazing into the quiet faceand smiling tenderly with love of the beautiful thing. As Menon led himaway, he waved a loving farewell to the god. The most wonderful time was after the sacrifice to Zeus before the greattemple with its deep porches and its marble watchers in the gable. The altar was a huge pile of ashes. For hundreds of years Greeks hadsacrificed here. The holy ashes had piled up and piled up until theystood as a hill more than twenty feet high. The people waited around thefoot of it, watching. The priests walked up its side. Men led up thesleek cattle to be slain for the feast of the gods. And on the very topa fire leaped toward heaven. Far up in the sky Charmides could halfsee the beautiful gods leaning down and smiling upon their worshipingpeople. Then he turned and walked with the crowd under the temple porch and intothe great, dim room. He trembled and grasped his father's hand in awe. For there in the soft light towered great Zeus. In embroidered robes ofdull gold he sat high on his golden throne. His hands held his scepterand his messenger eagle. His great yellow curls almost touched theceiling. He bent his divine face down, and his deep eyes glowed upon hispeople. Sweet smoke was curling upward, and the room rang with a hymn. As Charmides gazed into the solemn face, a strange light quivered aboutit, and the boy's heart shook with awe. The words of Homer sprang to hislips: "Zeus bowed his head. The divine hair streamed back from the kindlybrows, and great Olympos quaked. " After the sacrifices were over there was time to wander again among thestatues and to sit on the benches under the cool porches and watch themoving crowd and the glittering sun on the gold ornaments of the templepeaks. Then there was time to see again the strange sights of the fairin the plain. The next morning was noisier and gayer than anythingCharmides had ever known. While it was still twilight his father hurriedhim down the hill and through the gates, on through the sacred enclosureto another gate. And all about them was a hurrying, noisy crowd. Theystumbled up some steps and began to wait. As the light grew, Charmidessaw all about him men and boys, sitting or standing, and all gailytalking. Below the crowd he saw a long, narrow stretch of ground. Heclapped his hands. That was the ground Creon's feet would run upon! Upand down both sides of the track went long tiers of stone seats. Theywere packed with people who were there to see Creon win. The seatscurved around one narrow end of the course. But across the other endstood a wall with a gate. Menon pointed to a large white board hangingon the wall and said, "See! The list of athletes. " Here were written names, and among them, "Creon, son of the Olympicwinner Menon. " Charmides' eyes glowed with pride. Every eye was watching the gate. Soon the purple-clad judges entered. Some of them walked the whole length of the stadion and took their seatsopposite the goal posts. Two or three waited at the starting line. Therewas a blast of a trumpet. Then a herald cried something about gamesfor boys and about only Greeks of pure blood and about the blessing ofHermes of the race course. Immediately there entered a crowd of boys, while the spectators sentup a rousing cheer. The lads gathered to cast lots for places. At lasteight of them stepped out and stood at the starting line. Creon was notamong them. A post with a little fluttering flag was between every two. The boys threw off their clothes and stood ready. One of the judges saidto them: "The eyes of the world are upon you. Your cities love an Olympic winner. From Olympos the gods look down upon you. For the glory of your cities, for the joy of your fathers, for your own good name, I exhort you to doyour best. " Then he gave the signal and the runners shot forward. Down the longcourse they went with twinkling legs. The spectators cheered, calledtheir names, waved their chlamyses and himations. Their friends criedto the gods to help. Down they ran, two far ahead, others stringing outbehind. Every runner's eyes were on the marble goal post with its littlestatue of Victory. In a moment it was over, and Leotichides had firstlaid hand upon the post and was winner of the first heat. Immediately eight other boys took their places at the starting line. Charmides snatched his father's hand and held it tight, for Creon wasone of them. Another signal and they were off, with Creon leading bya pace or two. So it was all the way, and he gave a glad shout as hetouched the goal post. Charmides heard men all about him say: "A beautiful run!" "How easily he steps!" "We shall see him do something in the last heat. " "Who is he?" And when the herald announced the name of the winner, the benches buzzedwith, "Creon, Creon, son of Menon the Athenian. " Four more groups were called and ran. Then the six winners stepped upto the line. This time the goal was the altar at the farther end of thestadion. A wave of excitement ran around the seats. Everybody leanedforward. The signal! Leotichides sprang a long pace ahead. Next cameCreon, loping evenly. One boy stumbled and fell behind. The other threewere running almost side by side. Menon was muttering between his teeth: "Hermes, be his aid! Great Zeus look upon him! Herakles give him wind!" Now they were near the goal, and Leotichides was still leading by astride. Then Creon threw back his head and stretched out his legs andwith ten great leaps he had touched the altar a good pace ahead. He hadwon the race. The crowd went wild with shouting. Menon leaped over men's heads andwent running down the course calling for his son. But the guards caughthim and forced him back upon the seats. Charmides sat down and wept forjoy. And nobody saw him, for everybody was cheering and watching thevictor. One of the judges stepped out and gave a torch to Creon. The boy touchedthe flame to the pile on the altar. As the fire sprang up, he stretchedhis hands to the sky and cried, "O blessed Hermes, Creon will not forget thy help. " As he turned away the judge gave him a palm in sign of victory. The boywalked back down the course with the palm waving over his shoulder. Hisbody was glistening, his cheeks were flushed, his eyes were burningwith joy. He was looking up at the crowd, hoping to see his father andbrother. And at every step men reached out a hand to him or calledto him, until at last Menon's own loving arms pulled him up upon thebenches. Then there was such a noise that no one heard any one else, buteverybody knew that everybody was happy. Men pushed their heads overother men's shoulders, and boys peeped between their fathers' legs tosee the Olympic winner. And in that circle of faces Menon stood withhis arms about Creon, laughing and crying. And Charmides clung to hisbrother's hand. But at last Creon whispered to his father: "I must go and make ready. I am entered for the pentathlon, also. " Menon cried out in wonder. "I kept that news for a surprise, " laughed Creon. "Good-by, little one, "he said to Charmides, and pushed through the crowd. Menon sat down trembling. If his boy should win in the pentathlon also!That would be too great glory. It could not happen. He began to mutter ahundred prayers. Another race was called--the double race, twice aroundthe course. But Menon did not stand to see it. He could think of nothingbut his glorious son. After the race was another great shout. Some otherboy was carrying a palm. Some other father was proud. Then followedwrestling, bout after bout, and cheering from the crowd. But Menon caredlittle for it all. It was now near noon. The sun shone down scorchingly. A wind whirleddust up from the race course into people's faces. "My throat needs wetting, " cried a man. He pulled off a little vase of wine that hung from his girdle and passedit to Menon, saying: "I should be proud if the father of the victor would drink from mybottle. " And Menon took it, smiling proudly. Then he himself opened a littlecloth bag and drew out figs and nuts. "Here is something to munch, lad, " he said to Charmides. Other people, also, were eating and drinking. They walked about to visittheir friends or sat down to rest. Menon's neighbor sank upon his seatwith a sigh. "This is the first time I have sat down since sunrise, " he laughed. Then the pentathlon was announced. Everyone leaped to his feet again. Agroup of boys stood ready behind a line. One of the judges was softeningthe ground with a pick. An umpire made a speech to the lads. Then, at aword, a boy took up the lead jumping weights. He swung his hands backand forth, swaying his graceful body with them. Then a backward jerk! Hethrew his weights behind him and leaped. The judges quickly measuredand called the distance. Then another boy leaped, and another, andanother--twenty or more. Last Creon took the weights and toed the line. "Creon! Creon!" shouted the crowd: "The victor! Creon again!" He swung and swayed and then sailed through the air. "By Herakles!" shouted a man near Charmides. "He alights like asea-gull. " There went up a great roar from the benches even before the judgescalled the distance. For any one could see that he had passed thefarthest mark. The first of the five games was over and Creon had wonit. Now the judges brought a discus. A boy took it and stepped behind theline. He fitted the lead plate into the crook of his hand. He swung itback and forth, bending his knees and turning his body. Then it flewinto the air and down the course. Where it stopped rolling an umpiremarked and called the distance. "I like this game best of all, " said a man behind Charmides. "The wholebody is in it. Every movement is graceful. See the curve of the back, the beautiful bend of the legs, the muscles working over the chest! Thebody moves to and fro as if to music. " One after another the boys took their turn. But when Creon threw, Charmides cried out in sorrow, and Menon groaned. His disc fell short ofthe mark. He was third. "It was gracefully done, " Charmides heard some one say, "but his armsare not so good as his legs. See the arms and chest of that Timon. Noone can throw against him. " After that a judge set up a shield in the middle of the course. Everyboy snatched a spear from a pile on the ground and threw at the centralboss of the shield. Again Creon was beaten. Phormio of Corinth, son of afamous warrior, won. Then they paired off for wrestling. Creon and Eudorus of Aegina weretogether. Each boy poured oil into his hand from a little vase andrubbed the body of his antagonist to limber his muscles. Then he tookfine sand from a box and dusted it over his skin for the oiled bodymight slip out of his arms in the wrestling match. Then, at a signal, the pairs of wrestlers faced each other. Creon held his hands out ready, bent his knees, thrust forward his head, and stood waiting. Eudorus leaped to and fro around him trying to get ahold. At last he rushed at him. Creon caught him around the waist andhurled him to the ground. Charmides laughed and shouted and clappedhis hands. That was one throw. There must be three. Eudorus was upimmediately and was circling around and around again. Suddenly Creonleaped low and caught him by the leg and threw him. He had won two boutsout of three and stood victor without a throw. Soon all the pairs had finished. The eight victors stood forth and castlots for new partners. Again they wrestled. This time, also, Creon won. Then these four winners paired off and wrestled, and at the end Creonand Timon were left to try it together. In the first bout the Spartan boy lifted Creon off the ground and threwhim, back down. Then the men on the benches began shouting advice. "Look out for his arms!" "Don't let him grapple you!" "Feint, feint!" Creon leaped to his feet. He began circling around Timon as Eudorus hadcircled around him. He dodged out from under Timon's arms. He wriggledfrom between his hands. The benches rang with cheers and laughs. "He is an eel, " cried one man. Suddenly Creon ducked under Timon's arms, caught him by his legs andtripped him. The two boys were even. In the next bout Timon ran at Creon like a wild bull. He caught himaround the waist in his strong arms to whirl him to the ground. But witha crook of his leg Creon tripped him and wriggled out of his arms beforehe fell. Menon caught up Charmides and threw him to his shoulder laughing andstamping his feet. "Do you see, lad?" he cried. "He has won two games. Only the race isleft, and we know how he can run. " And how he did run! He threw back his head and leaped out like a deer, skimming over the ground in long strides and leaving his dust to theothers. He had the three games out of five and was winner of thepentathlon. Then there was no holding the crowd. They poured down off the seats andran to Creon. Some lifted him upon their shoulders and carried him outof the stadion, for this was the end of the games for that day. Andthose who could not come near Creon and his waving palms crowded aroundMenon. So they went, shouting, out of the gate and among the statues andon to the river. There they put Creon down, and his father and Charmidesled him away to camp. That was the happiest night of Charmides' life. He heard his wonderfulbrother talk for hours of the life in the gymnasium. He heard new talesof Creon's favorite god, Hermes. He heard of the women's games that wereheld once a year at Olympia in honor of Hera. He heard a hundred newnames of boys and cities, for there had been, athletes from every cornerof Greece in training here. He held the victor's palms in his own hands. He slept beside this double winner of Olympic crowns. He dreamed thatApollo and Hermes came hand in hand and gazed down at him and Creon asthey lay sleeping and dropped a great garland over them both. It wastwined of Olympic olive leaves and Apollo's own laurel. On the next day there were games for the men, like those the boys hadplayed. On the day after that there were chariot races in a wide placeoutside the walls. Every night there was still the gay noise of thefair. But instead of going to see it, Charmides stretched himself underthe trees on Mount Kronion and gazed up at the moon and dreamed. Then came the last day, with its great procession again and itssacrifices at every altar. The proud victors walked with their palmleaves in their hands. In the temple of Zeus, under the eyes of theglowing god, the priests put the precious olive crowns upon the winners'heads. They were made from sacred olive leaves. They were cut with agolden sickle from the very tree that godlike Herakles had brought outof the far north. That wreath it was which should be more dear than achest of gold to Creon's family and Creon's city. That was the crownwhich poets should sing about. When the priest set the crown uponCreon's head, Charmides thought he felt a god's hands upon his own brow. Menon leaned upon a friend's shoulder and burst into tears. "I could die happy now, " he said. "I have done enough for Athens ingiving her such a glorious son. " As the three walked back to camp, Menon said: "Who shall write your chorus of triumph, Creon? Already my messengershave reached Athens, and the dancers are chosen who shall lead you home. But the song is not yet made. It must be a glorious one!" Then Charmides blushingly whispered, "May I sing you something, father? Apollo helped me to make it. " His father smiled down in surprise. "So that is why you have been lyingso quiet under the trees these moonlit nights!" he said. Charmides ran ahead and was sitting thrumming a lyre when his fatherand Creon came up. He struck a long, ringing chord and raised his clearvoice in a dancing song: When Creon, son of Menon, bore off the Olympic olive, Mount Kronion shook with shouting of Hellas' hosts assembled. They praised his manly beauty, his grace and strength of body. They praised his eyes' alertness, the smoothness of his muscles. They blessed his happy father and wished themselves his brothers. Sweet rang the glorious praises in ears of Creon's lovers. But I, when upward gazing, beheld a sight more wondrous. The gates of high Olympos were open wide and clanging, Deserted ev'ry palace, the golden city empty. And all the gods were gathered above Olympia's race-course, They smiled upon my Creon and gifts upon him showered. From golden Aphrodite dropped half a hundred graces. Athene made him skillful. Boon Hermes gave him litheness. Fierce Ares added courage, Queen Hera happy marriage. Diana's blessed fingers into his soul shed quiet. Lord Bacchus gave him friendship and graces of the banquet, Poseidon luck in travel, and Zeus decreed him victor. Apollo, smiling, watched him and saw his thousand blessings. "Enough, " he said, "for Creon. I'll bless the empty-handed. " He turned to where I trembled, and stepping downward crowned me. "To thee my gift, " he whispered, "to sing thy brother's glory. " "Well done, little poet!" cried Menon. "A happy man am I. One son is beloved by Hermes, the other by Apollo. Bring wax tablets, Glaucon, and write down the song. I will prepare amessenger to hurry with it to Athens. " So it happened that a lame boy won a crown. And when Creon steppedashore at Pirseus, and all Athens stood shouting his name, a chorus ofboys came dancing toward him singing his brother's song. Creon was ledhome wearing Zeus' wreath upon his head, and Charmides with Apollo'scrown in his heart. [Illustration: _A Coin of Alexander the Great_. Itshows Zeus sitting on his throne. ] HOW A CITY WAS LOST Such was Olympia long ago. Every four years such games took place. Thenthe plain was crowded and busy and gay. Year after year new statues wereset up, new gifts were brought, new buildings were made. Olympia wasone of the richest places in the world. Its fame flew to every land. Atevery festival new people came to see its beauties. It was the meetingplace of the world. But meantime the bad fortune of Greece began. Her cities quarreled andfought among themselves. A king came down from the north and conqueredher. After that the Romans sailed over from Italy and conquered heragain. Often Roman emperors carried off some of her statues to make Romebeautiful. Shipload after shipload they took. The new country was filledwith Greek statues. The old one was left almost empty. Later, afterChrist was born, and the Romans and the Greeks had become Christian, theemperor said, "It is not fitting for Christians to hold a festival in honor of aheathen god. " And he stopped the games. He took away the gold and silvergifts from the treasure houses. He carried away the gold and ivorystatues. Where Phidias' wonderful Zeus went nobody knows. Perhaps thegold was melted to make money. Olympia sat lonely and deserted by herriver banks. Summer winds whirled dust under her porches. Rabbits madeburrows in Zeus' altar. Doors rusted off their hinges. Foxes made theirdens in Hera's temple. Men came now and then to melt up a bronze statuefor swords or to haul away the stones of her temples for building. The Alpheios kept eating away its banks and cutting under statues andmonuments. Many a beautiful thing crumbled and fell into the river andwas rolled on down to the sea. Men sometimes found a bronze helmet or amarble head in the bed of the stream. After a long time people came and lived among the ruins. On an oldtemple floor they built a little church. Men lived in the temple ofZeus, and women spun and gossiped where the golden statue had sat. Inthe temple of Hera people set up a wine press. Did they know that thelittle marble baby in the statue near them was the god of the vineyardand had taught men to make wine? Out of broken statues and columns andtemple stones they built a wall around the little town to keep out theirenemies. Sometimes when they found a bronze warrior or a marble god theymust have made strange stories about it, for they had half forgottenthose wonderful old Greeks. But the marble statues they put into a kilnto make lime to plaster their houses. The bronze ones they melted up fortools. Sometimes they found a piece of gold. They thought themselveslucky then and melted it over into money. But an earthquake shook down the buildings and toppled over the statues. The columns and walls of the grand old temple of Zeus fell in a heap. The marble statues in its pediments dropped to the ground and broke. Victory fell from her high pillar and shattered into a hundred pieces. The roof of Hera's temple fell in, and Hermes stood uncovered to thesky. Old Kronion rocked and sent a landslide down over the treasurehouses. Kladeos rushed out of his course and poured sand over the sacredplace. That earthquake frightened the people away, and they left Olympia aloneagain. Hermes was still there, but he looked out upon ruins. Victory layin a heap of fragments. Apollo was there, but broken and buried in earthwith the other people of the pediments. Zeus and all the hundreds ofheroes and athletes were gone. So it was for a while. Then a new race ofpeople came and built another little town upon the earth-covered ruins. They little guessed what lay below their poor houses. But for somereason this town, also, died and left the ruins alone. Then dusty windsand flooding rivers began to cover up what was left. Kladeos piled upsand fifteen feet deep. Alpheios swung out of its banks and washed awaythe race-course for chariots. Under the rains and floods the sun-driedbricks of Hera's walls melted again into clay and covered the floor. Again the earth quaked, and Hermes fell forward on his face, and littlewas left of the beautiful old Olympia. Grass and flowers crept in fromthe sides. Seeds blew in and shrubs and trees took the place of columns. Soon the flowers and the animals had Olympia to themselves. A few graystones thrust up through the soil. So it was for hundreds of years. Greece was conquered by the men of Venice and then by the Turks. ButOlympia, in its far corner, was forgotten and untouched except when aTurkish officer or farmer went there to dig a few stones out of theground. And they knew nothing of the ancient gods and the ancientfestival and the old story of the place, for they were foreigners andnew people. But about a hundred years ago Englishmen and Germans and Frenchmen beganto visit Greece. They went to see, not her new Turkish houses or herVenetian castles or the strange dress of her new people, but her oldruins and the signs of her old glory. These men had read of Olympia inancient Greek books and they knew what statues and buildings had oncestood there. They wrote back to their friends things like this: "I saw a piece of a huge column lying on top of the ground. It was sevenfeet across. It must have belonged to the temple of Zeus. " "To-day I saw a long, low place in the ground where I think must havebeen the stadion in ancient days. " At last, about thirty years ago, Ernst Curtius and several other Germanswent there. They were men who had studied Greek history and Greek artand they planned to excavate Olympia. "We will uncover the sacred enclosure again. Men shall see again theancient temples and altars, the stadion, the statues. " Germany had given them money for the work, and at last Greece allowedthem to begin. In October they started their digging. Workmen up-rootedshrubs and dug away dirt. Excavators watched every spadeful. They werealways measuring, making maps, taking notes. They found a few vases, terra cotta figures, pieces of bronze statues, swords and armor. Theycleared off temple floors and were able to make out the plans of the oldbuildings. They found the empty pedestals of many statues. Yet they weredisappointed. Olympia had been a beautiful place, a rich place. Theywere finding only the hints of these things. The beauty was gone. Of thethree thousand statues that had been there should they not find one? Then they uncovered the fallen statues of the pediments of Zeus' temple. Thirty or more there were--Apollo, Zeus, heroes, women, centaurs, horses. Arms were gone, heads were broken, legs were lost. Theexcavators fitted together all the pieces and set the mended statues upside by side as they had been in the gable. They found, too, the carvedmarble slabs that showed the labors of Herakles. But even these were notthe lovely things that people had hoped to see from Olympia. They wererather stiff and ungraceful. They had not been made by the greatestartists. In the temple of Hera one day men were digging in clay. Overall the rest of Olympia was only sand. The excavators wondered for along time why this one spot should have clay. Where could it have comefrom? They read their old books over and over. They thought and studied. At last they said: "The walls of the temple must have been made of sun-dried brick. In theold days they must have been covered with plaster. This and the roofkept them dry. But the plaster cracked off, and the roof fell in, andthe rain and the floods turned the bricks back to clay again. " Then one May morning, when the men were digging in the clay, a workmanlifted off his spadeful of dirt, and white marble gleamed out. Afterthat there was careful work, with all the excavators standing about towatch. What would it be? They thought over all the statues that theancient books said had stood in Hera's temple. Then were slowlyuncovered, a smooth back, a carved shoulder, a curly head. A whitestatue of a young man lay face down in the gray clay. The legs weregone. The right arm was missing. From his left hung carved drapery. Onhis left shoulder lay a tiny marble hand. "It is the Hermes of Praxiteles, " the excavators whispered amongthemselves. In his day Praxiteles had been almost as famous as Phidias. The oldGreek world had rung with his praises. Modern men had dreamed of whathis statues must have been and had longed to see them. How did he shapethe head? How did his bodies curve? What expression was on his faces?All these things they had wished to know. But not one of his statueshad ever been found. Now here lay one before the very eyes of theseexcavators. They put out their hands and lovingly touched the polishedmarble skin. But what would they find when they lifted it?--Perhaps thenose would be gone, the face flattened by the fall, the ears broken, thebeautiful marble chipped. They almost feared to lift it. But at lastthey did so. When they saw the face, they were struck dumb by its beauty, and I thinktears sprang into the eyes of some of them. No such perfect piece ofmarble had ever been found before. There was not a scratch. The skinstill glowed with the polishing that Praxiteles' own hands had given it. There was even a hint of color on the lips. The soft clay bed had savedthe falling statue. Here was a statue that the whole world would love. It would make the name of Olympia famous again. The excavators wereproud and happy. That old ruined temple seemed indeed a sacred place tothem as they gazed upon perhaps the most beautiful statue in the world. "Surely we shall find nothing else so perfect, " they said. Yet they went on with the work. Before long Hermes' right foot was foundimbedded in the clay. Its sandal still shone with the gilding put on twothousand years before. Workmen were tearing down one of the houses ofthe little town that had been built on the ancient ruins. Every stone init had some old story. Pieces of fluted columns, carved capitals, brokenpedestals, blocks from the temple of Zeus--all were cemented together tomake these walls. The workmen pulled and chipped and lifted out pieceafter piece. The excavators studied each scrap to see whether it wasvaluable. And at last they found a baby's body. They carefully broke offthe mortar. It was of creamy marble, beautifully carved. They carried itto Hermes. It fitted upon the drapery over his arm. On a rubbish heapoutside the temple they had found a little marble head. They put it uponthis baby's shoulders. It was badly broken, but they could see that itbelonged there. So after two thousand years Hermes again smiled into theeyes of the baby Dionysus. Other things were found. The shattered Victory was uncovered. Carefullythe excavators fitted the pieces together. But the wide wings couldnever be made again, and the head was ruined. Even so, the statue is abeautiful thing, with its thin drapery flying in the wind. After five years the work was finished. Now again hundreds of visitorsjourney to Olympia every year. They see no gleaming roofs andhigh-lifted statues and joyful games. They walk among sad ruins. Butthey can tread the gymnasium floor where Creon and many another victorwrestled. They can enter the gate of the grass-grown stadion. They cansee the fallen columns of the temple of Zeus. In the museum they can seethe statues of its pediments and, at the end of the long hall, theysee Victory stepping toward them. They can wander on the banks of theKladeos and the Alpheios. They can climb Mount Kronion and see the wholelittle plain and imagine it gay with tents and moving people. All these things are interesting to those who like the old Greek life. But most people make the long journey only to see Hermes. In the museum, in a little room all alone, he stands, always calm and lovable, alwaysdreaming of something beautiful, always half smiling at the coaxingbaby. PICTURES OF OLYMPIA ENTRANCE TO STADION. This was not the gate where Charmides entered. This entrance wasreserved for the judges, the competitors, and the heralds. Inside therewere seats for forty-five thousand people. On one side the hill made anatural slope for seats. But on the other sides a ridge of earth had tobe built up. The track was about two hundred yards long. Only the twoends have been excavated. The rest still lies deep under the sand. GYMNASIUM. Here Creon and the other boys spent a month in training before thegames. The gymnasium had a covered portico as long as the track in thestadion, where the boys could run in bad weather. A Greek boy of to-dayis playing on his shepherd's pipes in the foreground, and they are thesame kind of pipes on which the old Greeks played. BOYS IN GYMNASIUM. From a vase painting. They are wrestling, jumping with weights, throwingthe spear, throwing the discus, while their teachers watch them. One manis saying, "A beautiful boy, truly. " THE TEMPLE OF ZEUS. When we see a picture of fallen broken columns lying about a fieldin disorder, we try to learn how the original building looked and toimagine it in all its beauty. This, men believe, is the way the Templeof Zeus looked. The figures in the pediment were all of Parian marble. In the center stands Zeus himself. A chariot race is about to be run, and the contestants stand on either side of Zeus. Zeus gave the victoryto Pelops, and Pelops became husband of Hippodameia, and king of Pisa, and founded the Olympic Games. These games were held every fourth yearfor more than a thousand years. Note: This and the following plates of the Labors of Herakles and the statue of Victory, were photographed from Curtius and Adler's "Olympia: Die Ergebnisse der von dem Deutschen Reich Veranstalteten Ausgrabung, " etc. This is one of the most beautiful books ever made for a buried city. Boys and girls who can reach the Metropolitan Museum Library should notmiss it. It is in many volumes, each almost as large as the top of thetable, and you do not need to read German to appreciate the plates. THE LABORS OF HERAKLES. Under the porches of the Temple of Zeus were twelve pictures in marble, six at each end, showing the Labors of Herakles. Herakles was highlyhonored at Olympia and, according to one tale, he, instead of Pelops, was the founder of the Olympic Games. [Illustration: Herakles and the Nemean lion. --_Metropolitan Museum_] [Illustration: Herakles and the hydra. --_Metropolitan Museum_] THE STATUE OF VICTORY. In the sand, not far from the Temple of Zeus, the explorers found thefragments of this statue. It shows the goddess flying down from heavento bring victory to the men of Messene and Naupaktos. So the victorsmust have erected this statue at Olympia in gratitude. Something like the picture used as the frontispiece, men believe thestatue looked originally. It stood upon a base thirty feet high so thatthe goddess really looked as if she were descending from heaven. THE TEMPLE OF HERA. This shows the ruins of the temple where Charmides saw the statue ofHermes, perhaps the most beautiful statue in the world. HEAD OF AN ATHLETE. The Greek artist who made this statue believed that a beautiful body isglorious, as well as a beautiful mind, and a fine spirit. Do youthink his statue shows all these things? The original is now at theMetropolitan Museum. A GREEK HORSEMAN. The artist had great skill who could chisel out of marble such a strong, bold rider, and such a spirited horse. This picture and the one before it are not pictures of things found at Olympia. They are two of the most beautiful statues of Greek athletes, and we give them to remind you of the sort of people who came to the games at Olympia.