Amphictyonic League - Citizendia

The Amphictyonic League (Amphictyony) was a form of Greek religious organization that was enjoined to support specific temples or sacred places. The Greeks ( Greek: Έλληνες) are a Nation and Ethnic group native to Greece, Cyprus and neighbouring regions Greek temples ( Ancient Greek:, grc-Latn ho naós "dwelling" semantically distinct from Latin la templum " Temple 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. Demeter (dɨˈmiːtɚ Greek:, possibly "distribution-mother" from the noun of the Indo-European mother-earth * dheghom * mater 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. Delphi ( Greek,) ( pronounce and dialectal forms) is an archaeological site and a modern town in Greece on the south-western Demeter (dɨˈmiːtɚ Greek:, possibly "distribution-mother" from the noun of the Indo-European mother-earth * dheghom * mater Thermopylae (θɚˈmɒpəli (Ancient and Katharevousa Greek, Demotic Θερμοπύλες: "hot gateway" is a location in Greece Contemporary legends claimed that it was founded by Amphictyon, brother of Hellen, the common ancestor of all Hellenes. This article is about Amphictyon a figure of Greek mythology For the Amphictyony an ancient Greek religious organization see Amphictyonic League. Note Hellen was not the same person as Helen of Troy, or Helenus, son of King Priam of Troy. 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. Boeotia, Beotia, or Bœotia ( Greek: Βοιωτία - English biːˈoʊʃiə formerly Cadmeis was a region of Ancient Greece, north of the Thebes ( Classic Greek Θῆβαι, Mod Θήβα) is a city in Greece, situated to the north of the Cithaeron range which divides The Dorians or Dorian Greeks ( Greek:, Dōrieis singular, Dōrieus were The city of Sparta ( Doric Σπάρτα Attic Σπάρτη The Ionians ( Greek:, Iōnes singular) were one of the three populations into which the Ancient Greeks considered the population of Hellenes to have been Athens (ˈæθənz Αθήνα Athina,) the Capital and largest city of Greece, dominates the Attica periphery as one of the world's The Locrians (Λοκροί were an ancient Greek tribe in Greece. Magnesia (Μαγνησία Magnisía, maɣniˈsia deriving from the tribe name Magnetes, is the name of the southeastern area of Thessaly The Malians were a Greek tribe that resided at the mouth of the river Spercheios in Greece. Phocis ( Greek, Modern: Φωκίδα foˈkiða Ancient / Katharevousa: Φωκίς foˈkis is an ancient district and a modern prefecture The Knights of Pythias is a fraternal organization and Secret society founded at Washington DC on 19 February, 1864. Delphi ( Greek,) ( pronounce and dialectal forms) is an archaeological site and a modern town in Greece on the south-western Thessalia redirects here For the Butterfly Genus, see Thessalia (butterfly. 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. The 6th century BC started the first day of 600 BC and ended the last day of 501 BC. 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. The Third Sacred War (356 BC- 346 BC was fought between the forces of Thebes and Phocis for control of Delphi. Macedon or Macedonia ( Greek grc Μακεδονία grc-Latn Makedonía) was the name of a kingdom centered in the northern-most Philip II of Macedonia used its power to further his expansionistic conquests in Greece. Philip II of Macedon, ( Greek: Φίλιππος Β' ο Μακεδών &mdash φίλος = friend + ίππος = Horse 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. Gaul (Gallia was the Roman name for the region of Western Europe comprising present day northern Italy, France, Belgium, western Aetolia is a mountainous region of Greece on the north coast of the Gulf of Corinth forming the eastern part of the modern prefecture of Aetolia-Acarnania In 3th c. BC,the Soteria (festival) was held in honour to the Greek win against the Gauls. The Soteria were ancient festivals held in many Greek cities from the IIIBC

By 191 BC the League had 17 members but only the most dominant one had the two votes, when others had only one. Events By place Roman Republic The Romans under Manius Acilius Glabrio and Cato the Elder cut the Seleucid

The league continued to exist under Roman Empire but its authority was limited to the care of the Apollo temple. The Roman Empire was the post-Republican phase of the ancient Roman civilization, characterised by an autocratic form of government and large territorial The Roman emperor Augustus incorporated the Aenianes, Malians, Magnetians and Pythians with Thessalians. Augustus ( Latin: IMPERATOR·CAESAR·DIVI·FILIVS·AVGVSTVS September 23 63 BC – August 19 AD 14) born Gaius Octavius Thurinus, was Since Dolopes had vanished, he gave their position to the city of Nicopolis. Nicopolis (Νικόπολις city of victory) or Actia Nicopolis was an ancient city of Epirus, founded 31 BC by Octavian in memory

The Amphictyonic League vanished some time in the AD 2nd century. The 2nd century is the period from 101 to 200 in accordance with the Julian calendar in the Christian / Common Era.

References

Ancient Library on Amphictyones and Hieromnemones

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See also