The Baths of Greece are celebrated for their magnificence; they formed parts of buildings of vast extent and grandeur, termed Gymnasia. The gymnasium was an institution of the Spartans of Lacedæmonia or Laconia, and spread thence to other parts of Greece, and notably to the metropolis of Attica, the famed city, Athens. The gymnasium was sufficiently large to accommodate several thousands of persons, and afforded space for the assembly of philosophers, men of science, and poets, who delivered lectures to their scholars and recited their verses; and for the pursuit of the favourite games and exercises of their youths and men--namely, leaping, running, throwing the disc or quoit, and wrestling; the purpose of these exercises being to give strength to the people and make them accomplished warriors. The different parts of a gymnasium or palæstra, were as follows:-- 1. The PORTICOS, in which were numerous rooms furnished with seats for the professors and their scholars. 2. The EPHEBEUM, a large space in which the ephebi or youths planned and practised their exercises. 3. The APODYTERIUM, or undressing room; also called Gymnasterium, or the room for becoming nude. 4. The ELAIOTHESIUM, or anointing room, which was equally used by those who were preparing for exercise, and those who had completed their bath. 5. The KONISTERIUM, or dusting room, where the bodies of the wrestlers and other athletæ, after being anointed, were well dusted over; probably as a defence to the skin against injury. 6. The PALÆSTRA, or wrestling courts, which were bedded with sand more or less deep, like the modern circus, in order to break the fall of the combatants when they were thrown to the ground. 7. The SPHÆRISTERIUM, or court for ball exercise and raquets. 8. The PERISTYLE, or PIAZZA, within which was the area of the Peristyle, for walking, and the exercises of leaping, quoits, ball, and wrestling. 9. Then there were XYSTI, or covered courts, for the use of the wrestlers in bad weather; XYSTA, which were walks between walls open at the top and intended for hot weather; and a XYSTIC SYLVIS, or forest; the intervals of the numerous ornamental columns of the building being so called, and being devoted to walking exercise. 10. Next came the BATHS, which were hot, cold, and tepid water baths; and a stove, or Laconicum, named after the city of Laconia and the Lacedæmonians, from whom the Athenians derived their knowledge of the hot-air bath. 11. And lastly, there was the STADIUM, a segment of an ellipse, which received its name from being one hundred paces long, equal to six hundred feet, or something less than an eighth of a mile. The Stadium was furnished with rows of seats for spectators, and was intended for the exhibition of feats of running and exercises upon a large scale.