bibliography at the end of the work.

[Illustration: Fig. 18.--Greek dancers and tumblers.]

It may astonish the reader to know that the funambulist or rope-dancer
was very expert with the Greeks, as also was the acrobat between
knives and swords. Animals were also taught to dance on ropes, even
elephants.

The important religious and other dances were not generally composed
of professionals. The greatest men were not above showing their
sentiments by dancing. Sophocles danced after Salamis, and Epaminondas
was an expert dancer. There were dancers of all grades, from the
distinguished to the moderate. Distinguished persons even married into
excellent positions, if they did not already occupy them by birth.
Philip of Macedon married Larissa, a dancer, and the dancer
Aristodemus was ambassador to his Court. These dancers must not be
confounded with those hired to dance at feasts, etc. (figs. 9, 14 and
18). [Illustration: Fig. 19.--Etruscan bronze dancer with eyes of
diamonds, found at Verona. Now in the British Museum.]




CHAPTER III.


ETRUSCAN-SOUTH ITALIAN, ROMAN DANCING, ETC.

One of the most important nations of antiquity was the Etruscan,