in Grecian antiquity, a place fitted for performing exercises of the body, &c.—The word is Greek, formed of γυμνός, "naked;" by reason they ancienly put off their clothes, to practise with the more freedom.

Gymnasia, according to Potter, were first used at Lacedæmon, but were afterwards very common in all Gymnasium parts of Greece; and imitated, very much augmented, and improved, at Rome. There were three principal gymnasia at Athens; the academy where Plato taught; the Lyceum, noted for Aristotle's lectures; and the Cynosarges, allotted for the populace.

Vitruvius describes the structure and form of the ancient gymnasia, lib. v. cap. ii. They were called gymnasia, because several of the exercises were performed naked; and palestra, from wrestling, which was one of the most usual exercises there: the Romans sometimes also called them thermae, because the baths and bagnios made a principal part of the building.—It appears that they did not perform their exercises quite naked so early as the time of Homer, but always in drawers; which they did not lay aside before the 32nd Olympiad. One Orphius is said to have been the first who introduced the practice: for having been worsted by means of his drawers undoing and entangling him, he threw them quite aside, and the rest afterwards imitated him. They were not single edifices, but a knot of buildings united, being sufficiently capacious 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 had a mind to exercise,—at the same time without the least disturbance or interruption. They consisted of a great many parts. Vitruvius recites no less than 12, viz. 1. The exterior porticos, where the philosophers, rhetoricians, mathematicians, physicians, and other virtuous, read public lectures, and where they also disputed and rehearsed their performances. 2. The epehebeum, where the youth assembled very early, to learn their exercises in private, without any spectators. 3. The coryceum, apodyterion, or gymnasterion, a kind of wardrobe, where they stripped, either to bathe or exercise. 4. The clootheium, alipterion, or unctuarium, appointed for the unctions, which either preceded or followed the use of the bath, wrestling, pancratia, &c. 5. The coniferium or conitra, in which they covered themselves with sand or dust, to dry up the oil or sweat. 6. The palestra, properly so called, where they practised wrestling, the pugillate, pancratia, and divers other exercises. 7. The sphaeriterium or tennis-court, reserved for exercises wherein they used balls. 8. Large unpaved alleys, which comprehended the space between the porticos and the walls wherewith the edifice was surrounded. 9. The xylii, which were porticos for the wrestlers in winter or bad weather. 10. Other xylii or open alleys, allotted for summer and fine weather, some of which were quite open, and others planted with trees. 11. The bath, consisting of several different apartments. 12. The stadium, a large space of a semicircular form, covered with sand, and surrounded with seats for the spectators.

For the administration of the gymnasia, there were different officers: the principal were, 1. The gymnasiarcha, who was the director and superintendant of the whole. 2. The xyflarcha, who presided in the xylii or stadium. 3. The gymnastes, or master of the exercises, who understood their different effects, and could accommodate them to the different complexions of the athlete. 4. The pedotriba, whose business was mechanically to teach the exercises, without understanding their their theory or use. Under these four officers were a number of subalterns, whose names distinguished their different functions.

The gymnastic exercises may be reduced to two general classes; as they depend either on the action of the body alone, or as they require external agents or instruments. The latter consisted chiefly in mounting the horse, driving the chariot, and swimming. The former were chiefly of two kinds; orchestric, and palaestric.

The orchestric comprehended, 1. Dancing. 2. Cubistic, or the art of tumbling. 3. Spheristic or tennis, including all the exercises with pile or balls.

The palaestric comprised all exercises under the denomination palestrae; as wrestling, boxing, pancratia, hoplomachia, running, leaping, throwing the discus, the exercise of the javelin, and that of the hoop, denominated by the Greeks τροχός, which consisted in rolling an iron hoop five or six feet in diameter, beset with iron rings, the noise of which affrighting the people to give way, afforded them also an amusement. Both strength and skill were requisite in directing this hoop, which was to be driven with an iron rod. To these must also be added the exercises belonging to the medicinal gymnastics; as, 1. Walking. 2. Vociferation, or shouting. 3. Holding one's breath. Hoffman enumerates no fewer than 55 sorts of exercises that were practised in the gymnasia.