Page:The Annual Register 1758.djvu/475

 ACCOUNT OF BOOKS.

46 1

fax\Ci\on (and, in time of peace, be- came the moil confiderable parr of it) toguard andprotedthe national religion. The vernal aiTembly there- fore was held at Delphi, the great feat of the Grecian religion ; the object of univerfal veneration ; whi- ther all people, Greeks and Barba- rians, reforted to feek the advice and diredlion of the famous Pythian oracle. The immenle quantity of wealth, the number of rich votive offerings, which the fuperltition of fo many ages and nations had lavillied on the temple, demanded t-he exadleft care and moft vigorous proteftion. The prodigious con- courie which attended there, at particular feafons, naturally pro- duced many contefts, and required a well-regulated polity, and the fre- quent interpofition of a refpeiflable and powerful jurifdidicn. The Del- phians themfelves were intrulted with the pofl'effionand general guar- dianfliipof thetemple: theyattend- cd entirely on the fervice of the god, and were folely employed in theceremonialsofhisreligion : they were accounted in fome fort fa- cred ; the prielh, the attendants, and as it were the family of Apol- lo. So they are called by Lucian (in Phalarid. 1.) n^oi te xJ 'zucc-

xo» >^ ofAopo^ioi. But although they enjoyed ceruin powers and privileges with refpeft to the tem- ple, and could even grant fome honours and favours to particular perfons, fucb as that of the n^o- ^xviau, or rie:ht of precedence in confulting the oracle, as appears from an imperfeft infcription pre- fcrved by Spon and Wheeler, and quoted by Van Dale : yet ftill were they fubjeift to the infpe<5lion

and jurifdiiflion of the Amphitly- ons, who were the grea^ conferva- tors and protedtnrs of the (hrine ; and who, befides their general care, appointed certain oFtheir members, either by lot or rotation, to pre- fide over the temple; an honour which, according to Van Dale, w:is aifo called by the name n^s- y,a*ietoe.. ...

The whole nation of Greece was divided into twelve diitricls or pro- vinces: each of thefe contained a certain number of Amphiclyonic (late?, or cities, each of which en- joyed an equal right of voting and determining in all affairs relative to thegeneral interefl:. Other infe- rior cities were dependent on fome of thefe, and as members of their community, were alfo reprefented by the fame deputies: and thus the affembly of the Amphi£lyons be- came really and properly the re- prefentative of the whole Hellenic body. . . ,

Each of thofe cities, which had a right toaffift in the Amphiftyonic council, was obliged to fend it's deputies to every meeting ; and the number of thefe deputies was ufually and regularly two ; the one entided hieromnemon, to whom was particularly entrulted the care of religion and its rites. His office was annual, as appears from feveral decrees, in which his name is join- ed with that of the Athenian ar- chon t7ruvty.oi; ; and he was ap- pointed by lor. The other deputy was called by the general name py- lagoras, and was chofen by election each particular meeting. Each of thele deputies, however, differing in their fundlions, enjoyed an equal power of determining all affairs relativetj thegeneral intcrell. And

thus