in Grecian antiquity, a place fitted for performing exercises.

Gymnasia, according to Potter, were first used at Lacedæmon, but were afterwards very common in all the parts of Greece, and imitated, very much augmented, and improved at Rome. They were not single edifices, but a knot of buildings united, being so capacious as to hold many thousands of people at once; and having room enough for philosophers, rhetoricians, and the professors of all other sciences, to read their lectures; and wrestlers, dancers, and all others who would, to exercise at the same time without the least disturbance or interruption. They consisted of a great many parts, the chief of which were, the porticos, elæotheum, palestra, conister um, &c.

Athens had several gymnasia, of which the lyceum, academia, and cynoergues, were those of most note.

The lyceum was situated on the banks of the river Ilissus, and received its name from Apollo, to whom it was dedicated.

The lyceum was the place where Aristotle taught philosophy, walking there every day till the hour of anointing; when he and his followers got the name of peripatetics.

The academy was part of the ceramicus without the city, where Plato lectured. See ACADEMY.