Amphictyon'ic Council

Amphictyon'ic Council, a celebrated council of the states of ancient Greece. An amphictyony meant originally an association of several tribes for the purpose of protecting some temple common to them all, and for maintaining worship within it, and it was only later that it acquired also a political importance. Its members were called amphictyons ('the dwellers around'). Such associations existed at Argos, Delos, and elsewhere; but the most important was that at Anthela, near Thermopyle, the seat of which was transferred later to Delphi through Dorian influence. The members of this league were twelve in number, and were, according to Æschines: the Thessalians, Bœotians, Dorians, Ionians, Perhæbians, Magnesites, Locrians, Æteans, Phlioths, Malians, and Phocians, and the Dolopians who are mentioned in other accounts. The members of this confederation bound themselves by an oath not to destroy any city of the Amphictyons, nor cut off their streams in war or peace, and to employ all their power in punishing those who did so, or those who pillaged the property of the god, or injured his temple at Delphi. So excellent an oath was very indifferently kept. In the primitive period of Greek history, it had a beneficial and civilising influence; but its more important interferences in the affairs of Greece were directly contrary to the spirit of its institution. The first of these was the so-called sacred war, waged from 595 to 585 B.C., against the Phocian city of Crissa. The second sacred war, from 355 to 346 B.C., gave occasion to the fatal interference of Philip of Macedon in the affairs of Greece (see PHILIP); and a third sacred war, instigated by Philip, was but the prelude to the victory of Chæronea, so fatal to Greek liberty.