HALTE´RES
HALTE´RES (
ἁλτῆρες）
were certain masses of stone or metal which were used in the gymnastic
 |
|
Halteres. (From an engraved gem.)
|
exercises of the Greeks and Romans. Persons who practised leaping
often performed their exercises with halteres in both hands; but they were
also frequently used merely to exercise the body in somewhat the same manner
as our dumb-bells (Crates,
fr. 11 M.;
μολυβδίδας χειροπληθεῖς, Lucian,
Anach. 27, p. 909 R.;
graves massae,
Juv. 6.421; Senec.
Ep. 15.4,
56.1;
Mart. 14.49; Pollux, 3.155, 10.64).
Pausanias (
5.26.3;
5.27.8;
6.3.4) speaks of certain
statues of athletes who were represented with halteres. They appear to have
been made of various forms and sizes (
μακροὶ and
σφαιροειδεῖς,
Philostr.
de Gymn. 55). In the rage for female gymnastics,
even the heavier sort were used by women (
Mart.
7.67,
6; Juv.
l.c.). The preceding woodcut is taken from Tassie,
Catalogue, &c. pl. 46, No. 7978. (Mercurialis,
de Arte Gymnastica, 2.12;
Becker-Göll,
Gallus, 3.183; Krause,
Die Gymnastik und Agonistik der Hellenen, vol. i, p. 395;
Blümner,
Privatalterth. 346.)
[
W.S] [
W.W]
