the Achaean cities which offered their sacrifices in common to Demeter Panachaea at Aegium.1 And in Argolis there was a national religious union established by the Triphylian townships, which assembled at the promontory of Samicum for the worship of Poseidon Samios.2

Such associations or leagues of cities were designated Amphicamphictyonies (auμpiтvovía), and implied a more or less tyonies. permanent tie explicitly established. The pan-Hellenic assemblings to witness or take part in the Olympic, Pythian, Nemean, and Isthmian games were more universal in extent and popular in character, and were rather of the nature of implicit associations for the time being, and based on the recognition of racial community.

The word amphictyony was derived by ancient writers from the name of the mythical hero Amphictyon; but there is no doubt that it owes its origin to the term ἀμφικτίονες, practically equivalent to the word περικ τίονες—the alternative form περίοικοι being more usual in prose-and hence signifying surrounding dwellers, neighbours.5

amphictyonies.

There were numerous amphictyonies in Greece, as, Numerous for example (apart from those already mentioned), those of Calauria, Thermopylae, Delos, Delphi. The island of Calauria was the place of assembly of the representatives (the Oewpoí, delegates on missions of a religious

1 Ibid. vii. 24.

2 Strabo, viii. 3, 13 (p. 343).

Cf. G. de Sainte-Croix, Des anciens gouvernemens fédératifs (Paris, 1798), pp. 1-270; K. O. Müller, Die Dorier (being vols. ii. and iii. of Geschichten hellenischer Stämme und Städte, 3 Bde. (Breslau, 1844), Bk. ii. pt. 3, §5; G. Grote, History of Greece (London, 1872, etc.), vol. ii. pp. 169 seq.; F. W. Tittmann, Uber den Bund der Amphiktyonen... (Berlin, 1812); H. Bürgel, Die Pylaeisch-Delphische Amphiktyonie (München, 1877), esp. pp. 197 seq.; E. A. Freeman, History of Federal Government in Greece and Italy (London, 1893), esp. pp. 95-111; P. Foucart, s.v. Amphictyones, in Daremberg-Saglio, vol. i. p. 235.

4 Strictly speaking, amphictiony is the correct spelling; but the customary form is here retained.

5 Cf. Iliad, xviii. 212; xix. 104, 109; Odyss. ii. 65.—The word is even found in the form of the original spelling in inscriptions, as, for example, in Corp. inscrip. Graec. i. 805.

nature, have already been referred to1) of the seven towns of Athens, Aegina, Hermione, Epidaurus, Nauplia, Prasiae, and Orchomenus; later Argos acquired membership in place of Nauplia, and Sparta superseded Prasiae. This association, established probably for commercial reasons as much as for religious objects, possessed an international character, and continued its peaceful existence until Athens severed her relationships with Aegina, when the intercourse also between the other cities was in consequence disturbed. The amphictyony of Thermopylae was originally constituted by the neighbouring cities, which held annual festivals there, offering common sacrifices, and worshipping in the temple of Demeter. As for Delos, the Ionians of the neighbouring islands despatched their representatives there, to celebrate the festivals, and assist at the athletic and musical competitions held in honour of Apollo. The Delian amphictyony was re-established by Athens in 426 B.C., but it then assumed a somewhat different character, inasmuch as the main motive of Athens in effecting the restoration of the league was to bring about the religious unity of her empire. There is an extant inscription belonging to the earlier portion of the fourth century (c. 377-374 B.C.), which indicates that the association was still composed of Ionian islanders under the leadership of Athens, and that the term 'Aupiтúoves was still applied to the Athenian presiding or administrative officers, who shared the guardianship of the temple with the delegates of the

other constituent States.6

1 See vol. i. pp. 306, 314. 2 Strabo, viii. 6. 14. 3 Pausan. x. 8. 4 Strabo, ix. 5. 17: Δήμητρος ἱερὸν ἐν ᾧ θυσίαν ἐτέλουν οἱ ἀμφικτύονες.

5 Thuc. iii. 104 : ἦν δέ ποτε καὶ τὸ πάλαι μεγάλη ξύνοδος ἐς τὴν Δῆλον τῶν Ἰώνων τε καὶ περικτιόνων νησιωτῶν· ξύν τε γὰρ γυναιξὶ καὶ παισὶν ἐθεώρουν, . . . καὶ ἀγὼν ἐποιεῖτο καὶ γυμνικὸς καὶ μουσικός, χορούς τε ἀνῆγον αἱ πόλεις.

6 See Hicks, no. 104; Corp. inscrip. Graec. 158; Michel, 577; and cf. Hicks, 50, as to the Athenian administration of the Delian temple.

Amphictyonic

The most famous of these associations was the Delphian The Delphic amphictyony which came to be denoted by the general amphictyony. name of the Amphictyonic Council. Like the Calaurian The association, it was an intertribal or international union, Council. inasmuch as it was composed of twelve kindred tribes or nationalities (Ovn). There appears to be a lack of unanimity as to the names of these tribes, but, in all probability, they were the following: Thessalians, Dorians, Phocians, Locrians, Boeotians, Ionians, Perrhaebi, Magnetes, Oetaeans, Phthiotian Achaeans, Dolopes, and Malians. The very names point to the great antiquity of the Council. The names of several of these tribes scarcely ever appear in the historical period, and the fact that the Dorians assumed an equal position with the Malians and the Dolopes shows that the Council was in existence before the Dorian conquest of Peloponnesus. The association comprised also the colonies of these tribes. Although it is sometimes described as the common assemblage of the Greeks, τὸ κοινὸν τῶν Ἑλλήνων συνέδριον, or, in Cicero's phrase, 'commune Graeciae concilium,' it was not a fully representative body, as some of the peoples of Hellas, such as the Arcadians, the Aetolians, the Dryopians, and probably the Achaeans of the Peloponnese were excluded, though they had the right to make use of the temple of Delphi.

sentatives.

The Council assembled twice annually, at Ther- Repre mopylae in the spring, and at Delphi in the autumn. Each of the tribes possessed two votes, so that the maximum number of votes was twenty-four, and all were of equal force. The various towns belonging to each tribe must in some way have arranged amongst themselves as to what individuals were to be chosen

1 In regard to the list of the members, there are several discrepancies in the statements of Aeschines, Pausanias, and Harpocration.-Cf. Tittmann, op. cit. ss. 3-5.

2 Demosth. De coron. 155. * Aeschin. De fals. leg. 116: ἰσόψηφον γινόμενον.

8 Cic. De invent. ii. 23.

kai toútwv ëdega ekaσTOV Ovos

Objects and functions of the Delphic

delegates. In some cases, it may be, a leading city may have been appointed either permanently or for a definite period to despatch deputies as representing the entire tribe; in other cases, the towns may have fulfilled this function in rotation. In any event, there is no clear information on the point, which therefore remains purely conjectural. There were two kinds of representatives. The hieromnemones (iepouvμoves),-sometimes described also as ̓Αμφικτιόνων οἱ σύνεδροι—and the pylagorae (πυλαγόραι), who were also called αγορατροί. It is not definitely known what their respective functions and positions were. From a passage of Aeschines it would appear that the hieromnemones constituted the official, authoritative assembly, and were alone empowered to transact the business and draw up the resolutions. And it was they also who determined the limits of the sacred territory (designated in an inscription3 iepà xúpa) relating to the common temples. Demosthenes, however, mentions a decree and speaks of the resolution relating thereto as having been passed by the pylagorae. Again, Harpocration regards both classes of officials as the deputies of the cities. There were also a secretary, or secretaries, and a herald, iepoκnput, who seems to have been a permanent official of the association. In addition to these, in cases of special emergency a general assembly of the votaries was held."

The objects and functions of the Delphic amphictyony were, like those of all other amphictyonies, partly amphictyony. religious and partly political; but, on the whole, the

1 Aeschin. c. Ctesiph. 113.

2 Aeschin. c. Ctesiph. 124 : τέλος δὲ ψηφίζονται ἥκειν τοὺς ἱερομνή μονας ἔχοντας δόγμα. . . .

3 Corp. inscrip. Graec. 1171.

4 Demosth. De coron. 197.

5 5.ν. ἱερομνήμονες: οἱ πεμπόμενοι εἰς τὸ τῶν Ἀμφικτυόνων συνέδριον ἐξ ἑκάστης πόλεως τῶν τοῦ συνεδρίου μετεχουσῶν οὕτω KaλouvrαL.... (Ed. G. Dindorf, Oxonii, 1853, vol. i. p. 159.)— Cf. s.v. rúλai, ibid. p. 266.

* Aeschin. c. Ctesiph. 124: ἐκκλησίαν γὰρ ὀνομάζουσιν, ὅταν μὴ μόνον τοὺς πυλαγόρους καὶ τοὺς ἱερομνήμονας συγκαλέσωσιν, ἀλλὰ καὶ τοὺς συνθύοντας καὶ χρωμένους τῷ θεῷ.

former kind predominated. In the first place, the temples concerned and their worship, together with the relative games and festivals, were to be preserved by it,' and the sacred territory defended against aggression or pollution; and secondly, it was to adjudge on disputed matters of international conduct, which could be readily decided by reference to the dictates of a common religion, and, more especially, to mitigate the extreme terrors and hardships of war when waged between any of the communities represented. As an example of its purely religious guardianship may be mentioned the case of Peloponnesian delegates (theoroi) who, proceeding to Delphi to consult the oracle, were maltreated by the inhabitants of Megara. The aggrieved parties having laid their complaints before it, the Council held, on the ground that a mission of theoroi was of a sacred character, ἱερᾶς τῆς θεωρίας οὔσης, and their persons inviolable, that the accused were guilty of sacrilege; and consequently some of the offenders were condemned to death, and others to banishment.

the Council.

Frequently the main principles which the Council Oath and undertook to enforce were explicitly formulated and imprecation of ratified by a formal oath. The use of the oath and of the imprecation in connection with the entering into alliances, and the establishment of other contractual obligations has already been considered. In the case of the Delphic amphictyony the formula adopted by the confederates has been preserved by Aeschines, and is one of the very earliest documents relating to alliances between western peoples. The members swore they would not destroy any town belonging to the Amphictyonic association, nor cut it off from running water, whether in time of war or of peace; that they

1 Strabo, ix. 3. 7 (p. 643 A) : . . . περί τε τῶν κοινῶν βουλευσόμενον καὶ τοῦ ἱεροῦ τὴν ἐπιμέλειαν ἕξον κοινοτέραν. . . .

3 Dion. Hal. iv. 25: νόμους καταστησάμενος ἔξω τῶν ἰδίων, ὧν ἑκάστη πόλις εἶχε, τοὺς κοινοὺς ἅπασιν.

4

3 Plut. Quaest. Graec. 59. See vol. i. pp. 118 seq., 386, 388 seq., 394, 406.