On one of the temples were inscribed the sayings "Know thyself" and "Nothing in excess." It was said that these had been placed there by the ancient sages, and in later times they became famous as maxims in the teaching of the great philosophers. The oracle was not always right in its interpretations; it sometimes failed in seizing the highest opportunities that lay before it, but as Greek history unfolds itself before us, we can see a gradual raising of moral standards, which was due in great measure to the influence of the oracle of Apollo at Delphi. [1] Iliad, XV. [2] See p. 64. [3] Dion Chrysostom. [4] Homeric Hymn to Hera. [5] Homeric Hymn to Poseidon. [6] Homeric Hymn to Athena. [7] Homeric Hymn to Apollo. [8] Homeric Hymn to Apollo. [9] Homeric Hymn to Artemis, [10] Odyssey, V. [11] Homeric Hymn to Hermes. [12] Homeric Hymn to Hephaestus. [13] Homeric Hymn to Aphrodite. [14] Homeric Hymn to Pan. [15] Homeric Hymn to Demeter. [16] Homeric Hymn to Demeter. [17] Ibid. [18] Homeric Hymn to Apollo. {60} CHAPTER III THE OLYMPIC GAMES The Greeks were bound together by their language, by their religion, and also by their great national games. The origin of these games is still somewhat in doubt. They probably began as some kind of religious ceremony in connection with burials, such as the Funeral Games described by Homer that were held in honour of Patroclus. But whatever may have been their origin, they were firmly established in the earliest times of historic Greece. Greece was never free for long at a time from warfare. The very fact that the country was divided into so many small and independent states bred jealousies and hatreds, and state was often at war with state. This made it necessary that every Greek citizen should be ready at any moment to take up arms in defence of his home, and so he had to be physically always in good condition. This was brought about by regular athletic training which was an important part of the education of every Greek. It was considered just as bad to have an ill-trained body as it was to have an ill-trained mind, and one reason why the Greeks so despised the barbarians, as they called all those who were not of {61} Greek race, was because the barbarian did not train his body to the same extent, and because he loved so much luxury. All Greeks, then, received athletic training, and this training aimed at developing a beautiful body, for it was believed that to run gracefully was as important as to run swiftly, but though the Greeks loved contests and competition and strove hard for the victory, because they cared so much for grace of movement they did not lay much stress on record-breaking, and so they kept no records of exceptional athletic feats, which prevents us from knowing details of some of their great athletic achievements.