Figure 1.—The dancers form a circle. They hold the broad hilt of their sword in the right hand, and take the point of their neighbour's sword in their left hand.
Figure 2.—Each man puts his sword on the ground, so that its point may be in the centre of the circle of which it forms one of the rays.
Figure 3.—Each makes a salute towards the right, beginning with the choragus or leader.
Figure 4.—Each takes up his sword with the right hand, and grasps the point of his neighbour's sword with his left, as in the first figure.
Figure 5.—The dancers turn round in a circle, beginning with the left foot.
Figure 6.—Each makes one step to the left on his heel; then, still holding his own sword and his neighbour's also, makes a movement with his arms, so as to bring his right wrist beneath his left elbow, and his left wrist in front of his hip, and thus they execute a pas de deux towards the left.
Figure 7.—The whole of the eleven (more or less) dancers simultaneously place themselves as in figure 1.
Figure 8.—The dancers, led by the left-hand neighbour of the choragus, all pass beneath the uplifted sword of this latter. They defile with their arms crossed, without leaving hold of points and hilts. The choragus then turns round and takes up the same position as the rest.
Figure 9.—All make a movement of the heels, at the same time raising the left hand above the head, so as to place their neighbour's weapon on their right shoulder.
Figure 10.—The choragus, after returning to his previous position, moves into the centre, and always continuing to hold the hilt and the point of the two swords, he raises both hands to the level of his head;
the sound of the flute in rapid measure, the performers wearing their armour, and imitating by their motions the attack and defence of combatants in a battle. An imitation of this was introduced at Rome by Julius Cæsar, and also exhibited by succeeding Emperors.—Dict. of Greek and Roman Antiquities, by Anthony Rich, B.A. 1874.
