Page:Cyclopaedia, Chambers - Volume 1.djvu/947

 GYM

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GYN

GUTTUS, a Latin Term ufcd among Antiquaries, for a fort of .Vafe ufed in the Roman Sacrifices ; to take the Wine and fprinkle it, Gnttatim, Drop by Drop, upon the "Victim. See Sacrifice.

Vigenere on T". Livy, gives the Figure of the Gmtns, as repreiented on divers Medals and' other antient Monu- ments.

GUTTY, or Gutte, in Heraldry, is when a thing is re- prefented as charged or fprinkled with Drops.

In Blazon, the Colour of the Drops is to be named: Thus, Gutty of Sable, of Gules, gfoi

Some Authors will have red Drops called, Gutty de Sang, or Drops of Blood; black ones, Gutty dc $>oix, of Pitch ; white, Gutty d'Eau, of Water, &c.

GUZES, in Heraldry, Roundles of a fanguin or murry Colour. See Roundle.

GWABR-Merched, a Sritifi Word, fignifying a Payment or Fine made to the Lords of fome 'Manors, up- on the Marriage of their Tenants Daughters; as alio upon their committing Incontinency. See Marchet and

X AIRWITE.

GYMNASIARCH, Gymnasia'rcha, in Antiquity, the Matter, or chief of a Gymnafinm. See Gymnasium.

The Greeks did not rank the Gymnafiarcba among the Number of Magistrates ; tho' his Office was of great Con- federation, as having the Care of all their Youth," who were trufted to him to be form'd to Exercifes of the Body.

He had two Officers under him, to aflift him in the Go- vernment of the Gymnafinm : The firft named Xyjlarcb, and the fecond Gynafles. The former was Matter of the Atblete, and prefided over the Wreftling. See Xystarcii, Athleta,££?c.

The latter had the Direction of all the other Exercifes; taking Care they were performed in due Time and Man- ner ; that they were not too fevere; that the Youth at- tempted nothing beyond their Strength 5 and that nothing were done that might be injurious to their Health. •

They had feveral fubaltern Officers or Servants under them, for theServke and Inttruction ot'the Youth commit- ted to them.

The Word is compounded of Tv^mirtop, and &%yy, Go- vernment.

GYMNASIUM, a Place of Exercife; or a Place fitted for performing Exercifes of the Body. Sec Exercise.

Among the Antients, the Gymnafinm was a Place defi- ned for this very Purpofe, and where People were even taught and regularly difciplin'd therein. See Xystus.

If we may credit Solon in Lucian's Anacbars, and Cicero de Orat. lib %. the Greeks were the firft who had Gym-aa- Jia ; and among the Greeks, the Lacedemonians 5 after them, the Athenians.

Vitruvius defcribes the Structure and Form of the antient Gymnajiums at length, lib. 1 5. c. 1 u — The Word is Greek, yvfAvdfftw, form'd of yvywdt, Naked ; by reafon they put off their Clothes, to practice with the more Freedom.

GYMNASTICS, Gymnastica, the Gymn&fiic Art 5 or the Art of performing the Exercifes of the Body. See Exercise.

The Gymnafliea comprehended all the Exercifes, as Wreft- ling ; Running, both on Foot and on Hor/eback ; Fencing ; the Difcus, or Quoits; the Ufe of the Launce, £j?c. Hoffman reckons no lefs than 55 Gymnajiic Exercifes. See Wrest- ling, Discus, &c.

It appears that they did not perform their Exercifes quite naked fo early as the Time of Homer, but always in Draw- ers ; which they did not lay afide before the 3zd Olym- piad. One Orjlfptti is faid to have been the firft that in- troduced the Practice ; for having been worfted by means of his Drawers undoing, and entangling him ; he threw them quite afide, and the reft afterwards came to imitate him.

GYMNIC, Gymnicus, fomething belonging to the Ex- ercifes of the Body.

The Gymnic Games are thofe wherein the Body is ex- ereifed; fuch are Wreftling, Running, Dancing, the Ufe of the Launce, and Quoit-Playing. See Game.

It was thofe made the chief Diverfions of the Olympic, Nemean, ^Pythian* and Ifihmean Solemnities; being called by tho Greeks UiVTitQ\oy, and the Latins ^ninqnatrittm. See Olymtic, Nemjean, Pythian, and Isthmian, ££?c.

GYMNOP.&DIA, a kind of Dance, in Ufe among the antient Lacedemonians. It was performed during their Sa- crifices, by young Perfons who danced naked, tinging at the fame Time a Song in Honour of Apollo. Sec Dance.

One T'erpander is recorded as the Inventor of the Gym- nopadia,

GYMNOP^DICE, a kind of Dance, in Ufe among the Antients.

Atbevens defcribes it as a Saccblc Dance, perform 'd by Youths ftrip'd quite naked, with certain interrupted, tho' a- grccable Motions, and Geftures of the Body, the Arms and

Legs being flourifhed and directed after a peculiar Manner,' representing a fort of real Wreftling.

The Word is compounded of yvavos, naked, and &eue Child.

GYMNOSOPHISTS, a Set of Indian- Philofopners, fa- mous in A-ntiquity ; denominated from their going bare- footed. See Philosopher.

The Word Gymnofopbift is form'd of vhe Greek yvuves-^ tptsw; q. d. a Sophift, or Philofopher, who goes naked.

This Name was given to the Indian Phiiofophers, whom the excefiive Heat of the Country obliged to go naked ; as that of Peripateticks was given thofe who philofophiz'd Walking. See Peripateticks,^c.

Lacrtius,' Fives, &c. will not have Gymnofopbift to be the Name of any particular Sect, but a common Name of all the Phiiofophers in the Indies: And hence divides them into Sracbmans and Germans. See Brackmans.

Among the Germans, called alfo by Clemens Akxand, Sarmane, fome were called Hvlcbii ; by Clemens Alexand* AlloMi, as inhabiting the Woods ; which laft feem to come nearcft to the Notion of Gymnofopbifis. Clemens re- lates, that they neither inhabit Cities nor Towns, are cloath- ed moftly with the Leaves of Trees, eat Acorns and Ber- ries, and drink Water out of their Hands, abftaining from all Marriage and Procreation.

Apuleius Florid, lib. 1. defcribes the Gxmnofopbifts thus: ' They are all devoted to the Study of Wifdom, both the

( appears the moll amiable thing in their Character, is, ' that they have an Averfion to Idlenefs and Indolence : ' Accordingly, as foon as the Table is fpread, ere a Bit of
 * elder Matters, and the younger Pupils; and what to me

1 from their feveral Places and Offices* and the Matters
 * Victuals be brought, the Youth are all called together


 * examine them what good they have done fince the Sun-


 * rife. Here one relates fomething he has difecvered by

1 ftration : And as for thofe who have nothing to alledge
 * Meditation; another has lcurn'd fom:thing by Demon-

' ing.'
 * why they mould dine, they are turn'd out to Work fatt-

The great Leader of the Gymnofopb'tfts, according to Jerom, was one Bitddas, call'd by Clemens Sutta $ who is rank'd by S'.'idas among the Srachmans. That laft Au- thor makes Suddas the Preceptor otManes the 'Per/fan, the Founder of the Gymnofopbijls.

GYNiECEUM, among the Antients, the Apartment of the Women; or a feparate Place, wfhere the Women kept themfelves retired, and out of the Sight of the Men.

The Word is compounded of the Greek rWj, a Woman, and ciz(&, an Houfe.

Under the Roman Emperors there was a particular Efia- bliftiment of Gynecea ; being a kind of Manufactories ma- naged chiefly by Women, for the making of Clothes, Furni- ture, &c, for the Emperor's Houlhold. Mention is made of thefe Gynace'a in the 1'heodojzan Code, jft:jlmian\ Code, and divers other Authors.

In Imitation hereof, divers of the modern Manufactories, particularly thofe of Silk, where a Number of Women and Maids, afibciatcd and form'd into a Body, are called Gyve- cca.

GYN^ECIARIUS, a Workman employ'd in a Gyne- ceum*

In the antient Gynecea there were Men to weave and fhapc; the reft, as Spinning, &c. being performed by Wo- men.

Criminals were fometimes condemned to ferve in the Gynecea, much as now in the Gallics. Frequently, too, this was a kind of Service which Princes exacted of their Sub- jects, orVaffals, both Men and Women, whom they made to work for them in their G\n£cea.

GYNjECOCRATUMENIANS,Gyn;ecocratumeni; an antient People of Sarmatia Europea, inhabiting the Eaftern Banks of the River T'anais, near its Opening into the Talus Meotis ; thus called, as Authors relate, becaufe they had no Women among them.

The Word is formed of twu, a Woman ; and icpptotimt, vanquifti'd ; of Kpy.na, I overcome; q. d. overcome by a Woman.

Fa. Hardouin, in his Notes on Pliny, fays they were thus called, by reafon, after a Battle which they loft againft the Amazons on the Banks of the L'bermodoon, they were obli- ged to have a venereal Commerce with them, in order to' get them Children : Et quod FiBricibus objequantur ad procurandam eis Sobolem.

Fa. Ih.rdoun calls them the Husbands of the Amazons; Ama-zonnm Commbia. For, as that Author obferves, the Word Uude muft be retrench'd from 'Pliny-, having been foifted into the Text by People who were not Matters of the Author's Meaning, Unde Ama-zonum Connubia.

They who take the Amazons for a fabulous People, wilt imagine the lame of the Gynecocratumcnians. See Ama- zon.


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