Illustrated Companion to the Latin Dictionary/Lucta

This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Rich, Anthony (1849). The illustrated companion to the Latin dictionary, and Greek lexicon. p. vi. OCLC 894670115. https://archive.org/details/illustratedcompa00rich. 

LUCTA, LUCTA'MEN, LUCTA'TIO (πάλη, πάλαισμα). Wrestling, one of the games of the Greek palaestra, in which the combatants endeavoured to throw one another on the ground (Ov. Met. ix. 33 — 61. Stat. Theb. vi. 830 — 905.) by every means of bodily exertion, except striking, which was not permitted, or by any trick (Xen. Cyr. i. 6. 32.) which their ingenuity could devise. Grace, however, and elegance of attitude and motion were regarded as an important feature in the struggle. (Plato, de Leg. 796. Cic. Orat. 68.) The wrestling-ground was strewed with sand, and the bodies of the combatants were sprinkled over with fine dust (haphe), in order to give them a firmer hold upon their adversaries; which custom is alluded to in the following illustration, by the basket upset upon the ground.

The contest itself was of two kinds; the simplest and earliest in practice being termed stand-up wrestling (πάλη ὀρθή). Lucian. Lexiph. 5.); in which the contest was only carried on as long as both parties kept their footing, as represented in the annexed wood-cut (Lucta/1.1) from a bas-relief of the Vatican Museum; but if one was thrown, his antagonist permitted him to rise and recommence the struggle, until he met with three falls, which decided the victory. (Senec. Ben. v. 3.) The other kind, which was of later adoption, was termed ground wrestling (ἀλίνδηρις), and had a considerable resemblance to the pancratium, for the contest was continued on the ground after one or both parties had fallen, as exhibited by the annexed illustration (Lucta/1.2) from the Vatican Virgil, and until one of them, finding himself unable to rise again, was obliged to acknowledge himself beaten. Sen. l. c.

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  Lucta/1.1
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  Lucta/1.2