SHAM DUEL. Prize: The armour of Sarpedon. Diomede and Telamonian Ajax were so evenly matched that this event also was pronounced a draw. PUTTING THE WEIGHT. Prize: A lump of natural iron. Polypoetes won this event with a record put, amid general enthusiasm. ARCHERY. First Prize: Ten double axes. Second Prize: Ten single axes. The mark was a dove tied to a mast. Teucer won the toss and took first shot, missing his bird, but cutting the string by which it was attached. Thereupon Meriones snatched the bow, and, vowing a hecatomb to Apollo, pierced the dove to the heart, thus proving his title to the first prize. JAVELIN-THROWING. First Prize: Ornamental cauldron, value one ox. Second Prize: Javelin. Agamemnon walked over. Even in the account of these games it seems very probable that there has been a process of accumulation in which later bards have added events according to their fancy. Some of the later encounters are described with much less vigour and skill than the earlier. It is, however, important to notice that from the very first Greek athletics were part of religion. They were undertaken in a serious, devotional spirit, to honour some god or defunct hero. It was the same with poetry. Epic was, of course, devoted to the gods and heroes. The early lyric was also in the main devotional, whatever its subject might be. We have seen Hesiod carrying his poetic talents to a contest in song arranged to honour the funeral of