Show CLUBS lEG IX AThENS Athenians HntL the Same Excuses n Men of Today The birthplace of the earliest club is a disputed point but it is well known 1 I that Numa Pompilius the second king of Rome who died B C 673 founded trade guilds in Rome during his reign 1 similar to the guilds of the craftsmen wInch play so important a part in the f histor of the middle ages At onetime f one-time there were eighty of these guilds in Rome alone Later they spread beyond be-yond the metropolis for the boatmen of the Seine at Paris and those of the lower Rhone formed clubs of their own The guilds of Rome however scarcely T j answer to our idea of a club says the Cleveland Recorder We therefore turn with greater confidence to Athens where such a club seems to have originated origi-nated The old Athenien clubs were not In all respects similar to those of modern London and New York but there was nevertheless between them a strong affinity Aristotle who flourished flour-ished B C 384 tells us that men J the same trade and members of a particular tribe were wont to club together to-gether for business He geter purposes goes on to say that others combined for the sake of social Intercourse and adds that these meet together for the sake of one anothers company and to offer sacrifices when they meet they both pay certain honors to the gods and at the same time take pleasure and relaxation re-laxation among themselves This would seem to point to Athens as being be-ing the birthplace of the earliest duo i |