. The life of the Greeks and Romans. s. The races both on horse-back and in chariots took place inthe hippodrome ^irocpofio^), for the gymnastic games of the pentathlon served the stadion ((jrahiov),while for the acme of the festivals, the musical and dramatic per-formances, theatres were erected. Hippodromes were originally of very simple design. Theheroes before Troy raced in a plain near the sea, the boundaries ofwhich were marked in the most primitive manner ; a dry tree onefathom (Klafter) in height, with two white shining stones leaningagainst it, served as the goal (criy/xa). The specta
. The life of the Greeks and Romans. s. The races both on horse-back and in chariots took place inthe hippodrome ^irocpofio^), for the gymnastic games of the pentathlon served the stadion ((jrahiov),while for the acme of the festivals, the musical and dramatic per-formances, theatres were erected. Hippodromes were originally of very simple design. Theheroes before Troy raced in a plain near the sea, the boundaries ofwhich were marked in the most primitive manner ; a dry tree onefathom (Klafter) in height, with two white shining stones leaningagainst it, served as the goal (criy/xa). The spectators took theirseats where they could find them on the hills, near which acourse was generally chosen with this view. This regard to the locality, so characteristic of Greek architec-ture, was even observed when the recurrence of festive games hadmade more complicated arrangements necessary. This was parti-cularly the case with the hippodrome of Olympia, of which wepossess minute descriptions, and which therefore may serve as an 1 2. u6 HIPPODROME OF OLYMPIA.
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