Gymnasium

the name given by the Greeks to the public building where the young men, naked or nearly so (hence the name, from gymnos, naked), exercised themselves in leaping, running, throwing the discus and spear, wrestling, and pugilism. This institution was established in most of the cities of Greece and in Rome under the Cesars. Its objects, however, did not remain confined merely to corporeal exercises, but” were extended also to the exercise of the mind; for here philosophers, rhetoricians, and teachers of other branches of knowledge delivered their lectures. In the United States, colleges are generally provided with gymnasia, and bodily exercises are becoming a feature of the public school system. Many police stations also have gymnasia.