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The Gaming Table by Andrew Steinmetz, Volume II

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Cock-Fighting

Cock-fighting is a practice of high antiquity, like many other
detestable and abominable things that still cling to our social
fabric. It was much in vogue in Greece and the adjacent isles.
There was an annual festival at Athens called 'The Cock-
fighting,' instituted by Themistocles at the end of the Persian
war, under the following circumstances. When Themistocles was
leading his army against the Persians, he saw some cocks
fighting; he halted his troops, looked on, and said:--'These
animals fight neither for the gods of their country, nor for the
monuments of their ancestors, nor for glory, nor for freedom, nor
for their children, but for the sake of victory, and in order
that one may not yield to the other;' and from this topic he
inspirited the Athenians. After his victorious return, as an act
of gratitude for this accidental occasion of inspiring his troops
with courage, he instituted the above festival, 'in order that
what was an incitement to valour at that time might be
perpetuated as an encouragement to the like bravery hereafter.'
One cannot help smiling at these naive stories of the ancients to
account for their mightiest results. Only think of any modern
warrior halting his troops to make use of a cock-fight for the
purpose of inspiriting them to victory!

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