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Columbia Encyclopedia

amphictyony, in ancient Greece, a league connected with maintaining a temple or shrine. There were a number of these, but by far the most important was the Great, or Delphic, Amphictyony (or simply the Amphictyonic League), a league originally of 12 tribes. It had meetings in the spring at the temple of Demeter at Anthela near Thermopylae and in the autumn at Delphi. The Amphictyonic Council passed legislation regarding religious matters and had power to declare a sacred war against an offender. By the 6th cent. B.C. the religious organization had begun to have political influence. The greater city-states, by using pressure on the lesser, were able to control laws and policy. Philip II of Macedon, after getting on the council, used sacred wars as a pretext for furthering his conquests in Greece. Thereafter, the power of the Great Amphictyony was minimal, although it continued in existence until late in the Roman Empire.

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Wikipedia

The Amphictyonic League (Amphictyony) was a form of Greek religious organization that was enjoined to support specific temples or sacred places. Members met at specific times in the same sanctuary to keep religious festivals and conduct other matters as well. The most famous was the Delphic or Great Amphictyonic League that was organized to support the greater temples of Apollo and Demeter. The League council had religious authority and the power to pronounce punishments against offenders. Punishments could range from fines to expulsion to sacred war.

Based on legend, the Great Amphictyonic League was founded circa 1100 BC for the protection and administration of the temple of Apollo in Delphi and temple of Demeter in Anthela, near Thermopylae. Contemporary legends claimed that it was founded by Amphictyon, brother of Hellen, the common ancestor of all Hellenes. Representatives of the twelve members met in Thermopylae in spring and in Delphi in autumn.

The founders were the Aenianes or Oetoeans, the Boeotians (of Thebes), the Dolopes, the Dorians (of Sparta), the Ionians (of Athens), the Locrians, the Magnesians, the Malians, the Perrhoebians, the Phocians, the Pythians (of Delphi), and the Thessalians. The League doctrine required that no member would be entirely wiped out in war and no water supply of any member would be cut even in wartime. It did not prevent members from fighting about the dominance over the temples.

Originally religious organizations became politically important in the 6th century BC when larger city-states began to use it to apply pressure to the lesser ones. In 356 BC Phocians captured and sacked Delphi and sacred war was declared against them. After a ten-year war Phocians were expelled from the League in 346 BC and their two votes were given to Macedonians who had helped to defeat them. Philip II of Macedonia used its power to further his expansionistic conquests in Greece. In 279 BC, the Phocians were readmitted after they defended Delphi against an attack by the Gauls, and Aetolians - who already dominated the Delphi sanctuary - were admitted as new members.In 3th c.BC,the Soteria (festival) was held in honour to the Greek win against the Gauls.

By 191 BC the League had 17 members but only the most dominant one had the two votes, when others had only one.

The league continued to exist under Roman Empire but its authority was limited to the care of the Apollo temple. The Roman emperor Augustus incorporated the Aenianes, Malians, Magnetians and Pythians with Thessalians. Since Dolopes had vanished, he gave their position to the city of Nicopolis.

The Amphictyonic League vanished some time in the AD 2nd century.

References

Ancient Library on Amphictyones and Hieromnemones

References

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