Washington and Lee University - Calyx Yearbook (Lexington, VA)

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y p o R r T ' ■ ' Z O 1 936

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.k r ' x ' v ' V ' ' ' . r ' c. L . 1 s ' • ' ' THEOLYMPICOATH ' . ■-, ' Ihil il lh» addrtst qiv«n to dll comp«lilort in the Olympic G m i, «(t«r they had finiihid training. ,,,,,, IF YOU HAVE EXERCISED YOUR- SELVES IN A MANNER WORTHY OFOLYMPIA.IFYOUHAVEBEEN GUILTY OF NO SLOIHFUL OR IGNOBLE ACT, GO ON WITH GOOD COURAGE. YOU WHO HAVE NOT SO PRACTICED, GO WHITHER YOU WILL

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IN THE CLASSIC WORLD OF GREEK ANTIQUITY ATHLETICS WAS CONSIDERED THE FULL EDUCATIONAL EQUAL OF SCHOLASTIC ENDEAVOR. TO THIS REALIZATION, THAT THE BODY IS OF AS GREAT IMPORTANCE AS THE MIND, SCHOLARS HAVE OFTEN ASCRIBED THE ASTOUNDING BRILLIANCE OF GREEK CIVILIZATION. THIS SAME CONCEPT HAD ILLUSTRATION OF ITS VALUE IN THE GREATEST MEN OF GREECE. XENOPHON WAS NOT ONLY THE WRITER OF THE ANABASIS BUT ALSO A TRAINED ATHLETE WHO HEADED THE TEN THOUSAND DURING THEIR IMMORTAL MARCH. SOCRATES WAS AS GREAT A WRESTLER AS HE WAS A THINKER. WHO CAN SAY THAT THE WONDERS OF PHIDIAS WERE WROUGHT BY MIND ALONE? CAME THE DARK AGES, HOWEVER, AND THIS IDEAL OF MENS SANA IN CORPORE SANO WAS ALLOWED TO DROOP, WITH THE RESULT THAT THE TYPICAL MIDDLE AGE SCHOLAR WAS A GAUNT ESTHETE. FROM THIS TYPE OF THINKER THE NARROW SCHOLASTICISM OF THE DARK PERIOD WAS THE INEVITABLE RESULT. IN RECENT TIMES, HOWEVER, WE ARE BEGINNING TO APPRECIATE THE CLASSIC IDEAL OF PHYSICAL AS WELL AS MENTAL PERFECTION, AND, WITH SUCH AN IDEAL INCORPO- RATED IN THE CURRICULA OF OUR INSTITUTIONS OF HIGHER LEARNING, WHO CAN SAY THAT A NEW RENAISSANCE MAY • NOT, IF IT HAS NOT ALREADY, BURST FORTH? • ' •« wm.. m