The Knights Templars.

Acre and other parts of Palestine , and compelled them to take refuge in Tyre . * The Pope complained to all Christendom of the Emperor's violent proceedings . "Leagued in friendship with the Infidels , the Emperor showers favours upon them ,

and manifests his hatred to Christians by ruining the habitations of the Templars and Hospitallers , who up to the present time have preserved all that remains to us of the Holy Land . He has pillaged their houses and estates , and wishes to

deprive them of the privileges conceded to them by the Holy See , in Order that he may subject them to his own imperial government and jnrisdiction . f Shortly after the Emperor's return he began to grow alarmed at his position with the

Pope , and promising to amend his life and manners he was reconciled . But he still persecuted the religious Orders , and the Pope was at last forced to send a nuncio to him , with a letter commanding him to desist . ^

In 1232 the Grand Master Peter de Montagu , ¦ died at a very old age at Acre . [ To be continued . )

Classical Theology, Lxxxviii.

CLASSICAL THEOLOGY , LXXXVIII .

XII . —NEPTUNE AND FEBRUARY . The Olympia , Pythia , Nemia , and Isthmia , were the denominations given to those from great solemnities that combined the Pentathlon , or Pentathla , called in Latin Quinquertium , the exercise

of the five principal masteries , namely , leaping , running , striking , darting , and wrestling , with poetry , music , dancing , and singing , & c . Thus we read in the first Pythian solemnity , the gods among themselves contended . Castor obtained

the victory by horse-racing ; Pollux by boxing ; Calais in running ; Zetes at fighting in armour ; Peleus at hurling the discus ; Telamon at wrestling ; Hercules in the Pancratium , or feats of all the masteries , and that they were all honoured

by Apollo ( Natalis Comes , Mythol . vol . ii . ) with crowns of laurel , or a wreath of wild olive , in the Greek termed Korwos , kotinos . These games commenced at' the end of every four years ; or , that is to say , as the name of the

number of the gymnastics express , at the beginning of every five years , partly from the esteem they were held in all over Greece , and partly , if

Classical Theology, Lxxxviii.

indeed not solely , because they were instituted in honour of the gods , deified heroes , and always began and ended with sacrificing to them . The games scarcely more than differed from each other than according to the places in which they were commemorated .

The Olympic celebrations originated , as said , by Hercules , as one of the Idrei Dactyli , in honour of Jupiter , the Olympian , were solemnized at Olympia , a city of Elis , from whence they derived their name .

These games became extinct for a short time after their primal institution , until ultimately renewed by Iphitus , from which period the Greeks reckoned their first Olympiad . The visitors in these consecrated games were

extolled and exalted as the greatest heroes . On their return home they were carried in a triumphant chariot . The city walls were thrown down to give them an entrance , and to signify , in the opinion of Plutarch ( Synops . Lib , ii . ) , that

fortifications are unrequired , where , among themselves , the inhabitants of a city possess such champions to defend it . The people of Pisa , but principally the Eleans , had the superintendence of these ceremonies , and the officers appointed to conduct

them were called Adutia Alutia , the chief of whom was termed Alntarxes . Their functious were the same as P «/ 35 OKOI , rabdoxoi , or magistrates .

Women were not at fiYst permitted to witness these exhibitions , but it is historically related that eventually they became combatants , and even that some obtained the highest prizes . Competitors for these athletic contests had to give in their

names , and were required to prepare themselves ten months , during the termination of which they were forced to inure themselves to fatigue , and engage in regular combats . In allotting the matches a given number of

balls , bearing alphabetical letters , were put into a Ka \ pts , kalpis , or silver vase . Each who drew the same letter were to be the others' antagonists . One of the duties of the Rabdoxoi was the investigation of the characters of the competitors ,

lest any having a damaged reputation should contend . Also the Alutai could apprehend any disturber of the celebrations .

In the mental exercises of these festive solemnities , the prize of poetry , music , eloquence , history , and other branches of the fine arts , was likewise vigorously disputed , as we find in Strabo ,