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

Gymnasia, according to Potter, were first used at Lacedemon, but were afterwards very common in all 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 thermæ, because the baths and bagnoes 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 32d Olympiad. One Orsippus 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 porticoes, where the philosophers, rhetoricians, mathematicians, physicians, and other virtuosi, read public lectures, and where they also disputed and re- hearsed their performances. 2. The ephebeum, 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 eleothesium, alipetorium, or unctuarium, appoint- ed for the unctions, which either preceded or followed the use of the bath, wrestling, pancratia, &c. 5. The conisterium or conistra, in which they covered them- selves with sand or dust, to dry up the oil or sweat. 6. The palestra, properly so called, where they practised wrestling, the pugilate, pancratia, and divers other exercises. 7. The spheristerium or tennis-court, re- served for exercises wherein they used balls. 8. Large unpaved alleys, which comprehended the space be- tween the porticoes and the walls wherewith the edifice was surrounded. 9. The xysti, which were porticoes for the wrestlers in winter or bad weather. 10. Other xysti or open alleys, allotted for summer and fine weather, some of which were quite open, and others planted with trees. 11. The baths, consisting of sev- eral 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 gymna- siarcha, who was the director and superintendant of the whole. 2. The xystarcha, who presided in the xystus or stadium. 3. The gymnasta, or master of the exer- cises, who understood their different effects, and could accommodate them to the different complexions of the athletes. 4. The paedotriba, whose business was me- chanically to teach the exercises, without understanding 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 gen- eral classes; as they depend either on the action of the body alone, or as they require external agents or in- struments. The latter consisted chiefly in mounting the horse, driving the chariot, and swimming. The former were chiefly of two kinds; orchestice, and pa- lestrice.

The orchestice comprehended, 1. Dancing. 2. Cu- bitstice, or the art of tumbling. 3. Spheristice or tennis, including all the exercises with pilae or balls.

The palestrice comprised all exercises under the de- nomination palestrae; as wrestling, boxing, pancratia, hoplomachia, running, leaping, throwing the discus, the exercise of the javelin, and that of the hoop, deno- minated by the Greeks τροχός, which consisted in roll- ing an iron hoop five or six feet in diameter, beset with iron rings, the noise of which apprising 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 me- dicinal gymnastics; as, 1. Walking. 2. Vociferation, or shouting. 3. Holding one's breath. Hoffman enu- merates no fewer than 55 sorts of exercises that were practised in the gymnasia.