GYMNASTICS, History of. The devel opment of gymnastics began in an early period of Grecian and Roman history. Systematic exercise received the stamp of approbation from the most eminent educators of ancient times and has the endorsement of all teachers to-day. Such exercise has had its periods of decline in popularity, due to the development of professionalism, stimulated by the conferring of extravagant honors and rewards which caused the ranks of the athletes to be filled by a pro fessional class of low extraction, who made their art a trade. But through these periods of decline there have been those who have kept in mind the true value and aim of regularly and systematically conducted exercises; and these advocates have outlived and lived down these evils. So that we find that the scientifi cally conducted gymnastics have never entirely lost their hold upon educators and those inter ested in the betterment of mankind.
Modern gymnastics differ considerably from the exercises of the ancients, which at first con sisted of athletic feats performed by each indi vidual according to his own notion, and were encouraged among the youth as combining amusement with exercise. They were at length reduced to a system which, in Greece, formed a prominent feature in the state regulations for education. In fact the period for gymnastics was equal to the time spent on art and music combined. Public games were consecrated to the gods and were conducted with the greatest ceremony. The earliest mention we can find of gymnastic sports is in Homer's
The Spartans were the most rigid in exact ing for their youth a gymnastic training; even the girls were expected to be good gymnasts. The exercises for pupils in the gymnasia con sisted of a sort of tumbling, war-dances, run ning — for both sexes — leaping, climbing ropes; of jumping or springing from the knees, with weights attached to the body, maintaining the equilibrium while jumping on slippery skins filled with wine; and of wrestling for the throw. Riding, driving, swimming, rowing and swinging supplemented the indoor work.
During the Middle Ages the knightly amuse ment of the tournament absorbed nearly every other sport except foot-racing and wrestling, so that gymnastics fell into disuse till Basedow (q.v.) in 1776, at his institution in Dessau, united bodily exercises with other instruction. This example was followed by Salzmann at his institute and, from this small commencement, the practice gradually extended. In the latter part of the 17th century gymnastics were ex tensively introduced into Prussian schools by Guts Muths, who wrote several works on the subject. In 1810 the system was still more widely spread by Jahn, who is regarded as the founder of the present Turnverein (q.v.). Prussia at that time was impatient under Na poleonic rule, and Jahn conceived the idea of bringing together the young men for the prac tice of gymnastic exercises, and, at the same time, indoctrinating them with patriotic senti ments which might be made available to expel the French from Germany. The Prussian gov ernment favored the plan and in 1811 a public gymnastic school, or Turnplatz, was opened at Berlin, and was quickly imitated all over the country. In 1813 the citizens were called to arms against the French and Jahn himself commanded a battalion of Lutzow's volunteers. When, however, there was no longer any rea son to dread the French, the government of Prussia, regarding the meeting of patriotic young men as a means of spreading liberal ideas, closed the gymnastic schools and Jahn was imprisoned. In other countries, however, the system introduced by. Jahn was eminently successful, especially in England, Switzerland, Portugal and Denmark. It was first introduced into female education under the name of calis thenics when systematic exercises were added to hoop-trundling, skipping-ropes, etc., and to riding, archery and other healthy outdoor exer cises practised among young women.