AMPHICTYONY, an association of ancient Greek com munities centring in a shrine (from the Greek aµ4ucriopes, "dwellers around"). The association primarily comprised neigh bours, though the Delphic amphictyony came to include distant communities. Neighbouring communities chose the sanctuary of some deity at which to hold their periodical festival for worship and their fair for the interchange of goods. The Delian amphic tyony reached the height of its splendour early in the 7th century B.C. The "Hymn to the Delian Apollo," composed about that time, celebrates the gathering of the Ionians at the shrine of their god on the island of Delos, to worship him with music, dancing and gymnastic contests. Peisistratus, taking possession of Delos, seems to have used the sanctuary as a means of extending his political influence. When, after the great war with Persia, the Aegean cities, under the leadership of Athens, united in a league (477 B.c.), they chose as its centre the temple of the Delian Apollo. How far the institutions of the Delian confederacy were based upon the am phictyonic organization cannot be determined.
The removal of the Treasury to Athens in 454 B.C. deprived Delos of political importance. In 426 B.C. the Athenians instituted a great festival to be held under their presidency every four years (Thuc. iii. Io4). At the end of the Peloponnesian War Athens was deprived of Delos, but she appears to_ have regained control after the victory of Cnidus (394 B.c.) . The affairs of the temple were managed by a board of five Athenian amphictyons, assisted by some Delian officials.
Far more famous is the Delphic amphictyony. It was originally composed of I2 tribes dwelling round Thermopylae—the Thes salians, Boeotians, Dorians, Ionians, Perrhaebians, Magnetes, Locrians, Oetaeans, Phthiotes, Malians, Phocians and Dolopians. The name of the council (Pulaia) and of one set of deputies (pzulagorai), together with the importance of the temple of Dem eter at Anthela, near Thermopylae, suggests that this shrine was the original centre of the association. How and when Delphi became the centre is uncertain. The council of the league included deputies of two different kinds—pulagorai and hieromnemones. The latter were 24 in number, two from each tribe. Originally made up of neighbours, the league in time admitted the Dorians of the Peloponnese and the Athenians (as Ionians). After the second Sacred War, Macedon took the place of the Phocians and the Delphians partially displaced the Perrhaebians and Dolop ians.
In the following century the Aetolians gained such dominance in the amphictyony as to convert the council into an organ of their league. They were never formally admitted to membership, but maintained their supremacy in the council by controlling the votes of their allies. A few minor changes were introduced under the supremacy of the Roman republic ; Augustus increased the number of votes to 3o and distributed them according to his pleasure. In the age of the Antonines the association was still in existence.
The hieromnemones of the Thessalians, who held the presidency, were elected, but the office was ordinarily, as at Athens, filled by lot. As a rule they were renewed annually. Each hieromnemon was accompanied by two pulagorai, elected semi-annually. On one occasion Athens is known to have sent three. The hiero mnemones were formally superior, but being usually mediocrities, readily became the tools of the pulagorai, who were orators and statesmen. The latter are rightly given credit for the acts of the council; it was the pulagorai who set a price on the head of the traitor Ephialtes (Herod. vii. 213), and who, on the motion of Themistocles, rejected the proposition of Lacedaemon for the expulsion of the States which had sided with Persia. The pulagorai had a right to propose measures and to take part in the delibera tions. The hieromnemon, however, cast the vote of his com munity, though in the record his two pulagorai were made equally responsible for it. The inference is that the vote was determined by a majority of the three deputies.
The amphictyons met both in the spring and in the autumn at Delphi and at Thermopylae. The meeting at Thermopylae fol lowed that at Delphi. The primary function of the council was to administer the temporal affairs of the two shrines. The duty of the hieromnemones was to inspect periodically the sacred lands, to punish those who encroached, and to see that the tenants rendered their quota of produce ; and the council held the States responsible for the performance of such duties by their deputies. Another task of the council was to supervise the Treasury, to protect it from thieves, to increase the capital by investment and to control the expenditure. We find it contracting for the rebuilding of the Del phic temple after it had been destroyed by fire, adorning the in terior with statues and pictures, inscribing the proverbs of the Seven Sages on the walls, bestowing crowns on benefactors of the god, preparing for the Pythian games, awarding the prizes and issuing coins. A law of great interest imposed an oath upon the members of the league not to destroy an amphictyonic city or to cut it off from running water in war or peace; but to wage war upon those who transgressed this ordinance, and to punish any others who sought to injure the god. In this regulation, which was intended to mitigate the usages of war among the members of the league, we have one of the origins of Greek inter-state law. It was also unlawful to levy tolls on pilgrims to the shrines. Other regu lations were made to secure peace at the time of the festival, and occasionally the council was called upon to arbitrate in a dispute; but no provision was made to compel arbitration.
For the enforcement of such laws it was necessary that the council should have judicial power. As jurors the deputies took an oath to decide according to law or, in cases not covered by law, according to their best judgment. The earliest known penalty inflicted was the destruction of Crisa for having levied tolls on pilgrims. This offence was the cause of the first Sacred War. The second and third Sacred Wars, fought in the 4th century B.C., were waged by the amphictyons against the Phocians and the Amphissaeans respectively for trespassing on the sacred lands. The council fined the Dolopians for piracy, and the Lacedaemo nians for having occupied the citadel of Thebes in time of peace.
The judgments of the council were sometimes considered unfair, and were defied by the States affected. The Lacedaemonians re fused to pay the fine above mentioned; the Athenians protested against the treatment of Amphissa, and were slow in accepting the decisions given under the influence of Macedon. The inability of the council to enforce its resolutions was chiefly due to its compo sition; the majority of the communities represented were even in combination no match for individual cities like Athens, Sparta or Thebes. As in the League of Nations (q.v.), the support of the "great powers" was necessary if more than moral influence was to be employed. But the moral influence was usually powerful.
In addition to these associations there was an amphictyony of Onchestus and an amphictyony of Argos of which Epidaurus and Aegina were members.