Almost before he had finished speaking, the children found themselves back again in the huge “circus-ring” with its background of mountains! But now it was no longer empty. An enormous multitude of people filled the seats surrounding the hollow space, and from the crowd there rose a murmur like the hum of thousands of bees.
Rachel and Diana, seated on either side of Sheshà, in “the best places of all,” as Diana excitedly whispered, looked round them with amazed curiosity. First they let their eyes wander over the rows of spectators, clad in the Greek dress that was still strange to the sight of little English girls. The general colour of the crowd was white, varied by patches of the crimson and green and blue of many of the cloaks.
Overhead was the glorious blue sky, and the sun’s rays, warm but not as yet too hot, streamed over and lighted up the wonderful scene, which every moment grew more interesting and animated.
“That,” said Sheshà, pointing to the clear space below, “is the place of combat, called the stadium. And, now, behold the judges are just about to take their places.”
There was a raised platform or daïs in the middle of the stadium, and towards this the children saw several stately figures advancing. In a few moments these men, seated in chairs of a shape like those they had already seen in the home of Agis, had taken up their position on the daïs, each one holding on his knee a crown of olive leaves, and in his hand a palm branch.
“What are those for?” Rachel asked.
“To crown the victors. They are the only prizes, and are more eagerly coveted than gold or precious stones. To win those simple crowns the youths of Greece train strenuously for years. You have already in Athens seen a gymnasium. That to which Agis belongs, is only one of hundreds, as such training schools exist all over Greece, for the teaching of these physical exercises which have made the Greek nation the most beautiful in the world.... Here come some of the competitors—the athletes, to give them the right name. Behold them!”
“Oh, look! look, Diana!” shouted Rachel, pointing to where a procession of boys on horseback came riding into the stadium.
“What does it remind you of?” asked Diana quickly.
“Why, it’s exactly like that marble picture of boys riding we saw—where was it? Why, on the Parthenon temple, of course!”