PHO'CIS (Lat., from Gk. dkoKis. Phokis). In ancient geography, a division of Northern Greeee. bordered on the west by Ozolian Locris and Doris, on the north by Epicnemidian and Opuntian Lo cris, on the east by liceotia, a ml on the south by the Gulf of Corinth. The greater part of the coun try is mountainous, with Parnassus filling the central and western portion, and only a section in the northeast, through which the Ilieotian Cephis sus flows, is fertile. The chief town was Elatea, which commanded the entrance into Bleotia from the north. Other towns of some importance were Daulis, Aba', the seat of an ancient oracle, and llyampolis, but the most conspicuous place, to which the fame of the land was chiefly due, was Delphi, whose inhabitants. however. always claimed that the control of the oracle did not belong to the Phocians. The State was a league of 22 cities, most of which were of small size. The Phocians seem to have been akin to the Dorians, though there were elements derived from earlier settlers in those regions, and there is sonic evidence for colonization in the southern portion from Crete and the Peloponnesns. They do not play a prominent part in the earlier his tory of Greece. though we hear of a desperate de fense against the advance of the Thessalians, and in general they appear as enemies of the Thessa Hans and Bceotians and friends of the Athenians, who supported their elaim to control Delphi. In
B.C. 357 the Amphietyonie Couneil, apparently through Theban influence, imposed a heavy fine on the Phocians for cultivating some land be longing to the Delphic oracle. The Phocians re sisted the sentence and were favored, but not ac tively assisted, by Athens and Sparta. who were at that time on bad terms with the Counril and hostile to Thebes. The Phocians seized Delphi and 'borrowed' the temple treasures with which to maintain their army. For ten years the war was waged with no decisive results. though in general to the advantage of the l'hocians. Even the growing power of Philip of Macedon did not cheek them. for while he was victorious in Thessaly, he could not pass Thermopyhe. which was held by a Phocian army and an Athenian fleet. The Peace of Philocrates ( e.c. 346) be tween Athens and Philip left the Phocians help less, and the sentence of the Aniphictyous. which expelled them from the Council. condemned them to an enormous fine and dispersed them into small villages, thus practically removing them from future history.