Fencing . d confessedlyincompetent in the wrestling arena. Emerging from prehistoric speculations and philosophicdigressions, however pertinent to the matter in hand, into thelight of civihsed literature, we find the earliest dawn of Euro-pean society reflecting the figure of the boxing man in almosthis modern aspect. Amidst the clash of arms in the plainbefore Troy a place is cleared for the veritable prize the mighty warriors whose names come down to uson the grand Homeric roll-call is Polydeuces, good with hisfists, mentioned in the same honourable phrase and in thesame sonoro
Fencing . d confessedlyincompetent in the wrestling arena. Emerging from prehistoric speculations and philosophicdigressions, however pertinent to the matter in hand, into thelight of civihsed literature, we find the earliest dawn of Euro-pean society reflecting the figure of the boxing man in almosthis modern aspect. Amidst the clash of arms in the plainbefore Troy a place is cleared for the veritable prize the mighty warriors whose names come down to uson the grand Homeric roll-call is Polydeuces, good with hisfists, mentioned in the same honourable phrase and in thesame sonorous cadence as Menelaus, good at the war cry !Polydeuces, better known as Pollux, was not indeed amongstthe assailants of Troy, but he must have perished only a shorttime before, for he w^as the brother, and apparently the twinbrother, of Helen, who w^as still in the prime of life even whenTroy was sacked. His name is inseparably connected, in thetraditions both of Greece and Rome, with the art and practice. Figure II.—Stop with the left THE HISTORY OF BOXING 123 of boxing, and he was the * patron saint, together with his twinbrother Castor, of all the public games. The appearance ofthese brothers at the Battle of Lake Regillus is immortalised forthe benefit of English readers by Macaulay, and was recordedat Rome by the building of their temple in the Forum. Inthe mythologic and legendary history of the old world boxingfinds a large and honourable place. Apollo, besides his skillwith the bow, was certainly a good god with his fists ; andseveral of the sons of Zeus by mortal mothers were excellentbruisers. Neptune, god of the sea, was the father of oneAmycus, king of the Bebrycians, and progenitor of a race offighting men. This worthy was accustomed, as it seems, tochallenge strangers who visited his dominions to put the gloveson with him ; and no one appears to have escaped death athis hands until Pollux, landing with the Argonauts, took up thecustomary challenge and paid off
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