Page:History of Greece Vol II.djvu/262

 246 HISTORY OF GREECE. thread to the Argeians, the similar periodical ceremonies, frequented by all who bore the Achaean or vEtolian name, and the splendid and exhilarating festivals, so favorable to the diffu- sion of the early Grecian poetry, which brought all lonians at stated intervals to the sacred island of Delos. 1 This latter class of festivals agreed with the Amphiktyony, in being of a special and exclusive character, not open to all Greeks. But there was one amongst these many Amphiktyonies, which, though starting from the smallest beginnings, gradually expanded into so comprehensive a character, and acquired so marked a predominance over the rest, as to be called The Amphiktyonic Assembly, and even to have been mistaken by some authors for a sort of federal Hellenic Diet. Twelve sub-races, out of the number which made up entire Hellas, belonged to this ancient Amphiktyony, the meetings of which were held twice in every vear : in spring, at the temple of Apollo at Delphi ; in autumn, at Thermopylae, in the sacred precinct of Demeter Amphiktyonis. Sacred deputies, including a chief called the Hieromnemon, and subordinates called the Pylagone, attended at these meetings from each of the twelve races : a crowd of volunteers seem to have accompanied them, for purposes of sacrifice, trade, or enjoyment. Their special, and most important function, con- sisted in watching over the Delphian temple, in which all the twelve sub-races had a joint interest; and it was the immense wealth and national ascendency of this temple, which enhanced to so great a pitch the dignity of its acknowledged adminis- trators. The twelve constituent members were as follows : Thessalians, Boeotians, Dorians, lonians, Perrhaebians, Magnates, Lokrians, CEtaeans, Achaeans, Phokians, Dolopes, and Malians. 2 All are 1 Thucyd. iii. 104 ; v. 55. Pausan. vii. 7, 1 ; 24, 3. Polyb. v. 8 ; ii. 54. Homer. Hymn. Apoll. 146. According to what seems to have been the ancient and sacred tradition, the whole of the month Karneius was a time of peace among the Dorians ; though this was often neglected in practice at the time of the Pcloponnesian war (Time. v. 54). But it may be doubted whether there was any festival of Kameia common to all the Dorians : the Karneia at Sparta seems to hnvc been a Lacedaemonian festival.
 * The list of the Amphiktyonic constituency is differei tly given by JEs