Xystus () was originally the ancient

Greek Greek may refer to: Anything of, from, or related to Greece, a country in Southern Europe: *Greeks, an ethnic group *Greek language, a branch of the Indo-European language family **Proto-Greek language, the assumed last common ancestor of all kno ...

architectural Architecture is the art and technique of designing and building, as distinguished from the skills associated with construction. It is both the process and the product of sketching, conceiving, planning, designing, and construction, constructi ...

term for the covered

portico A portico is a porch leading to the entrance of a building, or extended as a colonnade, with a roof structure over a walkway, supported by columns or enclosed by walls. This idea was widely used in ancient Greece and has influenced many cu ...

of the gymnasium, in which the exercises took place during the winter or in rainy weather. The ancient

Romans Roman or Romans most often refers to: *Rome, the capital city of Italy *Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD *Roman people, the people of Roman civilization *Epistle to the Romans, shortened to Romans, a letter w ...

applied the term to a covered garden walk with porticoes for winter exercise, or to a promenade between rows of large trees. The term ''xystus'' derives from the Greek word ''xustos'', meaning "smooth", due to the polished floor of the xystus. "Xystus" was used, by extension, to refer to the whole building containing the gymnasium and portico, as in the xysti of

Jerusalem Jerusalem is a city in the Southern Levant, on a plateau in the Judaean Mountains between the Mediterranean Sea, Mediterranean and the Dead Sea. It is one of the List of oldest continuously inhabited cities, oldest cities in the world, and ...

and

Elis Elis also known as Ellis or Ilia (, ''Eleia'') is a historic region in the western part of the Peloponnese peninsula of Greece. It is administered as a regional unit of the modern region of Western Greece. Its capital is Pyrgos. Until 2011 it ...

. ''Xyst'' is an alternative spelling for ''xystus'', and xystarch as the term for a superintendent of a xystus. In Latin, ''xystum'' is the accusative case of the nominative ''xystus''; in modern architecture,

xystum In architecture, the term xystum refers to a wall, promenade, alley, or open path. It can also refer to an atrium, ambulacrum, or parvis in front of a basilica. The term should not be confused with the ancient Greek architectural term ''xystus'', ...

has a different meaning from xystus. ''Xystarches'' (ξυστάρχης) was an officer who superintended the exercise of the xystus and ''xysticus'' (ξυστικός) was called an athlete who practised in xystus.Harry Thurston Peck, Harpers Dictionary of Classical Antiquities (1898), Xysticus
/ref>

Notable xysti

Hadrian's Villa Hadrian's Villa (; ) is a UNESCO World Heritage Site comprising the ruins and archaeological remains of a large Roman villa, villa complex built around AD 120 by Roman emperor Hadrian near Tivoli, Italy, Tivoli outside Rome. It is the most impos ...

at Tivoli *the

Villa of the Quintilii The Villa of the Quintilii (Italian: Villa dei Quintili) is a monumental ancient Roman villa beyond the fifth milestone along the Via Appia Antica just outside the traditional boundaries of Rome, Italy. It was built by the rich and cultured Quin ...

near Rome *The

Xystus of Jerusalem Xystus has several meanings: * Xystus, a Greek architectural term denoting the covered portico of a gymnasium * Xystus, another spelling for the Roman name Sixtus * Pope Xystus I * Pope Xystus II * Pope Xystus III * Xystus, a Greek student ...

was a famous building erected in the Judaeo-Hellenistic period probably under

Herodian Herodian or Herodianus () of Syria, sometimes referred to as "Herodian of Antioch" (c. 170 – c. 240), was a minor Roman civil servant who wrote a colourful history in Greek titled ''History of the Empire from the Death of Marcus'' (τῆς με ...

rule. *The

Xystus of Elis Xystus has several meanings: * Xystus, a Greek architectural term denoting the covered portico of a gymnasium * Xystus, another spelling for the Roman name Sixtus * Pope Xystus I * Pope Xystus II * Pope Xystus III * Xystus, a Greek student ...

was a famous gymnasium consisting of a vast enclosure surrounded by a wall. The gymnasium was by far the largest in ancient Greece, because all the athletes in the

Olympic Games The modern Olympic Games (Olympics; ) are the world's preeminent international Olympic sports, sporting events. They feature summer and winter sports competitions in which thousands of athletes from around the world participate in a Multi-s ...

were required to undergo one month's training there prior to the opening of the games. Within the Xystus, there were special places for runners; these places were separated from each other by

plane tree ''Platanus'' ( ) is a genus consisting of a small number of tree species native to the Northern Hemisphere. They are the sole living members of the family Platanaceae. All mature members of ''Platanus'' are tall, reaching in height. The type ...

Notes

References

* * *{{cite DGRG , title=Elis , volume=1 , page=82 , url=https://books.google.com/books?id=_sYPAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA82 Architectural elements Ancient Greek architecture