Life in the Roman world of Nero and StPaul . re existsa later analogue to the last it is to be found in themore chivalrous tourney in the lists, but the resem-blance is not very close. Least valued among thereal Romans were the athletic sports. For genuineenjoyment of these we must look to the Greek part ofthe empire. At Rome they appeared tame, for themind of the Roman populace was naturally coarse ingrain; what it delighted in was something sensa-tionally acrobatic, or provocative of a rather grosslaughter, or else involving a thrilling anticipation ofdanger and bloodshed. In taste the Roman
Life in the Roman world of Nero and StPaul . re existsa later analogue to the last it is to be found in themore chivalrous tourney in the lists, but the resem-blance is not very close. Least valued among thereal Romans were the athletic sports. For genuineenjoyment of these we must look to the Greek part ofthe empire. At Rome they appeared tame, for themind of the Roman populace was naturally coarse ingrain; what it delighted in was something sensa-tionally acrobatic, or provocative of a rather grosslaughter, or else involving a thrilling anticipation ofdanger and bloodshed. In taste the Romans were infact similar to those modern spectators who love to see a man plunge froma lofty trapeze into anarrow tank, with areasonable chance ofbreaking his neck. Itis a strange contradic-tion with other Romanattitudes when we findthat they objected tothe Greek wrestling or running on grounds of decorum,because it was innocently nude. On the athleticsports, although they were never wanting in thegames at Rome, we need not therefore dwell. It. Fig. 78. — Boxing-Gloves. HOLIDAYS AND AMUSEMENTS 265 may be sufficient to show by an illustration whatsort of notion the ancient world entertained ofinteresting pugilism. It is only fair to say that theboxing-gloves here given — thongs of leatherwrapped tightly round the arm and hand, and loadedor studded with lead or iron — were a notion borrowedfrom the professional pugilists of Greece.
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1900, bookdecade1910, booksubjectchurchhistory, bookye
