. Greek athletic sports and festivals . a bathroom, and in it were found remains of abrick-lined bath of Roman date 4 metres square and 1*38 metresdeep. There is another basin in the adjacent corner of thegymnasium at the point where the southern corridor opens onto the street. There are no signs in the palaestra or gymnasiumof the warm baths which are so important a feature of thegymnasium described by Vitruvius. In Roman times warm 1 01. Text. ii. pp. 113, 127. XXII THE PALAESTRA AT OLYMPIA 487 baths were installed at Olympia not in the palaestra but ina separate building to the south-west.
. Greek athletic sports and festivals . a bathroom, and in it were found remains of abrick-lined bath of Roman date 4 metres square and 1*38 metresdeep. There is another basin in the adjacent corner of thegymnasium at the point where the southern corridor opens onto the street. There are no signs in the palaestra or gymnasiumof the warm baths which are so important a feature of thegymnasium described by Vitruvius. In Roman times warm 1 01. Text. ii. pp. 113, 127. XXII THE PALAESTRA AT OLYMPIA 487 baths were installed at Olympia not in the palaestra but ina separate building to the south-west. It is impossible todetermine the uses of the various rooms surrounding thecourt. Some of them are closed with doors, and doubtlessserved for storing the oil, sand, and other requisites of thepalaestra. The larger rooms are open in front. In five of therooms there are remains of stone seats round the walls, and thefloor is paved with concrete. Such rooms must have been usedas exedrai or galleries for the spectators, but hardly, as it is. Fig. 185.—Plan of palaestra at Olympia. sometimes stated, as lecture rooms for philosophers and otherteachers, who would certainly have preferred the greaterpublicity afforded by the opisthodome of the temple of Zeus orby the stoai. The palaestra and gymnasium at Olympia musthave been practically confined to the use of competitors, andthe practice of these competitors naturally drew thither crowdsof friends and interested spectators. In some of the rooms thereare traces of altars and bases of statues. Such buildings werealways under the patronage of certain gods and heroes. 488 GREEK ATHLETIC SPORTS AND FESTIVALS chap. Hermes was in a s^^ecial sense the patron of the palaestra, and atAthens festivals were held there in his honour. At Elis one ofthe gymnasia contained altars to Idaean Heracles, to Eros andAnteros, to Demeter and Persephone, and the statues of thefirst three; were placed in the gymnasium called Maltho whichwas specially reserved
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