, broke one of his enemy's
toes, the extreme anguish of which obliged him to ask quarter at the very
instant that Arrichion himself expired. The Agonothetae crowned Arrichion,
though dead, and proclaimed him victor. Philostratus has left us a very
lively description of a painting, which represented this combat.

Of the Discus, or Quoit.

The Discus was a kind of quoit of a round form, made sometimes of wood,
but more frequently of stone, lead, or other metal; as iron or brass.
Those who used this exercise were called Discoboli, that is, flingers of
the Discus. The epithet {~GREEK SMALL LETTER KAPPA~}{~GREEK SMALL LETTER ALPHA~}{~GREEK SMALL LETTER TAU~}{~GREEK SMALL LETTER OMEGA~}{~GREEK SMALL LETTER MU~}{~GREEK SMALL LETTER ALPHA WITH OXIA~}{~GREEK SMALL LETTER DELTA~}{~GREEK SMALL LETTER IOTA~}{~GREEK SMALL LETTER OMICRON~}{~GREEK SMALL LETTER FINAL SIGMA~}, which signifies "borne upon the
shoulders," given to this instrument by Homer, sufficiently shows, that it
was of too great a weight to be carried from place to place in the hands
only, and that the shoulders were necessary for the support of such a
burden for any length of time.

The intent of this exercise, as of almost all the others, was to
invigorate the body, and to make men more capable of supporting the weight
and use of arms. In war they were often obliged to carry such loads, as
appear excessive in these days, either of provisions, fascines, palisades;
or in scaling of walls, when, to equal the height of them, several of the
besiegers mounted upon the shoulders of each other.

The Athletae, in hurling the Discus, put themselves into the posture best
adapted to add force to their cast; that is, they advanced one foot, upon
which they leaned the whole weight of their bodies. They then poised the
Discus in their hands, and whirling it round several times almost
horizontally, to add force to its motion, they threw it off with the joint
strength of hands, arms, and body, which had all a share in the vigour of
the discharge. He that flung the Discus farthest was the victor.

The most famous painters and sculptors of antiquity, in their endeavours
to represent naturally the attitudes of the Discoboli, have left to
posterity many masterpieces in their several arts. Quintilian exceedingly
extols a statue of that kind, which had been finished with infinite care
and application by the celebrated Myron: "What can be more finished," says
he, "or express more happ