καταστήσασθαι δὲ συνέδριον ἐνταῦθα Ἑλλήνων οἱ μὲν Ἀμφικτύονα τὸν Δευκαλίωνος νομίζουσι καὶ ἀπὸ τούτου τοῖς συνελθοῦσιν ἐπίκλησιν Ἀμφικτύονας γενέσθαι, Ἀνδροτίων δὲ ἐν τῇ Ἀτθίδι ἔφη συγγραφῇ ὡς τὸ ἐξ ἀρχῆς ἀφίκοντο ἐς Δελφοὺς παρὰ τῶν προσοικούντων συνεδρεύοντες, καὶ ὀνομασθῆναι μὲν Ἀμφικτίονας τοὺς συνελθόντας, ἐκνικῆσαι δὲ ἀνὰ χρόνον τὸ νῦν σφισιν ὄνομα.
ὑπὸ μὲν δὴ Ἀμφικτύονος αὐτοῦ φασιν ἐς συνέδριον κοινὸν τοσάδε γένη τοῦ Ἑλληνικοῦ συναχθῆναι, Ἴωνας Δόλοπας Θεσσαλοὺς Αἰνιᾶνας Μάγνητας Μαλιέας Φθιώτας Δωριεῖς Φωκέας Λοκροὺς τῇ Φωκίδι ὁμόρους ὑπὸ τῷ ὄρει τῇ Κνήμιδι· καταλαβόντων δὲ Φωκέων τὸ ἱερὸν καὶ ὕστερον δεκάτῳ ἔτει λαβόντος πέρας τοῦ πολέμου, μεταβολὴν καὶ τὰ Ἀμφικτυόνων ἔσχε. Μακεδόνες μὲν γὰρ τελεῖν ἐς Ἀμφικτύονας εὕραντο, Φωκέων δὲ τὸ ἔθνος καὶ ἐκ τοῦ Δωρικοῦ Λακεδαιμόνιοι μετασχόντες ἐπαύσαντο Ἀμφικτυονίας, οἱ μὲν τοῦ τολμήματος ἕνεκα οἱ Φωκεῖς, οἱ δὲ συμμαχίας εὕραντο οἱ Λακεδαιμόνιοι τῆς Φωκέων ζημίαν.
Βρέννου δὲ τὸν Γαλατῶν στρατὸν ἀγαγόντος ἐς Δελφοὺς προθυμίαν ἐς τὸν πόλεμον οἱ Φωκεῖς πλείστην τοῦ Ἑλληνικοῦ παρέσχοντο, καὶ ἀπὸ τοῦ ἔργου τούτου μετασχεῖν Ἀμφικτυονίας αὖθις καὶ ἐς τὰ ἄλλα ἐγένετο ἀξίωμα αὐτοῖς ἀνασώσασθαι τὸ ἀρχαῖον. βασιλεὺς δὲ Αὔγουστος μετεῖναι καὶ Νικοπολίταις τοῖς πρὸς τῷ Ἀκτίῳ συνεδρίου τοῦ Ἀμφικτυόνων ἠθέλησε· Μάγνητας μὲν οὖν καὶ Μαλιεῖς καὶ Αἰνιᾶνας καὶ Φθιώτας Θεσσαλοῖς συντελεῖν, τὰς ψήφους δὲ ὅσαι τούτων τε καὶ Δολόπων—οὐ γὰρ ἔτι ἦν Δολόπων γένος—Νικοπολίτας φέρειν.
οἱ δὲ Ἀμφικτύονες οἱ ἐπʼ ἐμοῦ τριάκοντα ἀριθμῷ ἦσαν· ἐκ Νικοπόλεως μὲν καὶ Μακεδονίας τε καὶ Θεσσαλῶν, ἀπὸ ἑκάστων ἀριθμῷ ἦσαν ἕξ, ἐκ δὲ Βοιωτῶν—Θεσσαλίαν γὰρ καὶ οὗτοι τὰ ἀρχαιότερα ᾤκησαν καὶ Αἰολεῖς τηνικαῦτα ἐκαλοῦντο—καὶ ἐκ Φωκέων τε καὶ Δελφῶν, παρὰ τούτων δύο ἑκάστων· εἷς δʼ ἐκ Δωρίδος τῆς ἀρχαίας.
πέμπουσι δὲ καὶ Λοκροὶ οἵ τε καλούμενοι Ὀζόλαι καὶ οἱ πέραν Εὐβοίας ἕνα ἑκάτεροι, καὶ Εὐβοεύς ἐστιν εἷς· Πελοποννησίων δὲ ἐξ Ἄργους καὶ Σικυῶνος καὶ Κορίνθου σὺν Μεγαρεῦσίν ἐστιν εἷς καὶ εἷς Ἀθηναῖος. αἱ μὲν δὴ πόλεις Ἀθῆναι καὶ Δελφοὶ καὶ ἡ Νικόπολις, αὗται μὲν ἀποστέλλουσι συνεδρεύσοντας ἐς Ἀμφικτυονίαν πᾶσαν· ἀπὸ δὲ ἐθνῶν τῶν κατειλεγμένων ἑκάστῃ πόλει ἀνὰ μέρος ἐς Ἀμφικτύονας καὶ ἐν χρόνου περιόδῳ συντελεῖν ἔστιν.
ἐσελθόντι δὲ ἐς τὴν πόλιν εἰσὶν ἐφεξῆς ναοί· καὶ ὁ μὲν πρῶτος αὐτῶν ἐρείπια ἦν, ὁ ἐπὶ τούτῳ δὲ κενὸς καὶ ἀγαλμάτων καὶ ἀνδριάντων· ὁ δὲ αὐτῶν τρίτος καὶ ὁ τέταρτος, ὁ μὲν τῶν ἐν Ῥώμῃ βασιλευσάντων εἶχεν οὐ πολλῶν τινῶν εἰκόνας, ὁ τέταρτος δὲ Ἀθηνᾶς καλεῖται Προνοίας. τῶν δὲ ἀγαλμάτων τὸ ἐν τῷ προνάῳ Μασσαλιωτῶν ἀνάθημά ἐστι, μεγέθει τοῦ ἔνδον ἀγάλματος μεῖζον. οἱ δὲ Μεσσαλιῶται Φωκαέων εἰσὶν ἄποικοι τῶν ἐν Ἰωνίᾳ, μοῖρα καὶ αὕτη τῶν ποτε Ἅρπαγον τὸν Μῆδον φυγόντων ἐκ Φωκαίας· γενόμενοι δὲ ναυσὶν ἐπικρατέστεροι Καρχηδονίων τήν τε γῆν ἣν ἔχουσιν ἐκτήσαντο καὶ ἐπὶ μέγα ἀφίκοντο εὐδαιμονίας.
τῶν μὲν δὴ Μασσαλιωτῶν χαλκοῦν τὸ ἀνάθημά ἐστι· χρυσοῦ δὲ ἀσπίδα ὑπὸ Κροίσου τοῦ Λυδοῦ τῇ Ἀθηνᾷ τῇ Προνοίᾳ δοθεῖσαν, ἐλέγετο ὑπὸ τῶν Δελφῶν ὡς Φιλόμηλος αὐτὴν ἐσύλησε. πρὸς δὲ τῷ ἱερῷ τῆς Προνοίας Φυλάκου τέμενός ἐστιν ἥρωος· καὶ ὁ Φύλακος οὗτος ὑπὸ Δελφῶν ἔχει φήμην κατὰ τὴν ἐπιστρατείαν σφίσιν ἀμῦναι τὴν Περσῶν.
ἐν δὲ τοῦ γυμνασίου τῷ ὑπαίθρῳ πεφυκέναι ποτὲ ἀγρίαν φασὶν ὕλην, καὶ Ὀδυσσέα, ἡνίκα ὡς τὸν Αὐτόλυκον ἀφικόμενος μετὰ τοῦ Αὐτολύκου τῶν παίδων ἐθήρευε, τότε αὐτὸν τὸ τραῦμα τὸ ὑπὲρ τοῦ γόνατος ἐνταῦθα σχεῖν ὑπὸ τοῦ συός. τραπομένῳ δὲ ἐς ἀριστερὰν ἀπὸ τοῦ γυμνασίου καὶ ὑποκαταβάντι οὐ πλέον ἐμοὶ δοκεῖν ἢ τρία στάδια, ποταμός ἐστιν ὀνομαζόμενος Πλεῖστος· οὗτος ὁ Πλεῖστος ἐπὶ Κίρραν τὸ ἐπίνειον Δελφῶν καὶ τὴν ταύτῃ κάτεισι θάλασσαν.
ἐκ δὲ τοῦ γυμνασίου τὴν ἐς τὸ ἱερὸν ἀνιόντι ἔστιν ἐν δεξιᾷ τῆς ὁδοῦ τὸ ὕδωρ τῆς Κασταλίας, καὶ πιεῖν ἡδὺ καὶ λοῦσθαι καλόν. δοῦναι δὲ τὸ ὄνομα τῇ πηγῇ γυναῖκα λέγουσιν ἐπιχωρίαν, οἱ δὲ ἄνδρα Καστάλιον· Πανύασσις δὲ ὁ Πολυάρχου πεποιηκὼς ἐς Ἡρακλέα ἔπη θυγατέρα Ἀχελῴου τὴν Κασταλίαν φησὶν εἶναι. λέγει γὰρ δὴ περὶ τοῦ Ἡρακλέους· Παρνησσὸν νιφόεντα θοοῖς διὰ ποσσὶ περήσας / ἵκετο Κασταλίης Ἀχελωΐδος ἄμβροτον ὕδωρ. /
ἤκουσα δὲ καὶ ἄλλο τοιόνδε, τὸ ὕδωρ τῇ Κασταλίᾳ ποταμοῦ δῶρον εἶναι τοῦ Κηφισοῦ. τοῦτο ἐποίησε καὶ Ἀλκαῖος ἐν προοιμίῳ τῷ ἐς Ἀπόλλωνα· βεβαιοῦνται δὲ οὐχ ἥκιστα οἱ Λιλαιεῖς, οἳ ἐς τοῦ Κηφισοῦ τὴν πηγὴν πέμματα ἐπιχώρια καὶ ἄλλα ὁπόσα νομίζουσιν ἀφιᾶσιν ἔν τισιν εἰρημέναις ἡμέραις, καὶ αὖθις ἐν τῇ Κασταλίᾳ φασὶν αὐτὰ ἀναφαίνεσθαι.
Some think that the council of the Greeks which meets here was instituted by Amphictyon, son of Deucalion, and that the members of the council were called Amphictyons after him. But Androtion, in his history of Attica, says that originally the council at Delphi was composed of deputies from the neighbouring peoples, and that the members of the council were named Amphictions, but that in course of time their present name prevailed.
Amphictyon himself is said to have formed a union, represented by a common council, of the following Greek tribes:— Ionians, Dolopians, Thessalians, Aenianians, Magnesians, Malians, Phthiotians, Dorians, Phocians, and the Locrians who border on Phocis, dwelling at the foot of Mount Cnemis. The seizure of the sanctuary by the Phocians, and the conclusion of the war nine years afterwards, wrought a change in the constitution of the Amphictyonic League. For the Macedonians contrived to join the League, whereas the Phocian nation and a branch of the Dorian race, namely, the Lacedaemonians, were struck out of it—the Phocians on the ground of their daring crime, the Lacedaemonians as a penalty for their alliance with the Phocians. When Brennus had led the Gallic host to Delphi, the Phocians displayed more enthusiasm for the war than any other of the Greeks, and, as a result of this affair, they were reinstated in their position as members of the Amphictyonic League, and retrieved their ancient reputation. It was the will of the Emperor Augustus that Nicopolis, near Actium, should join the Amphictyonic League, that the Magnesians, Malians, Aenianians, and Phthiotians should be included among the Thessalians, and that their votes, together with those of the Dolopians (who had ceased to exist as a people), should be exercised by the Nicopolitans.
At present the Amphictyons are thirty in number. Nicopolis, Macedonia, and Thessaly each send six: the Boeotians (who anciently inhabited Thessaly, and were then called Aeolians), Phocians, and Delphians each send two; and ancient Doris sends one. The Ozolian Locrians, and the Locrians opposite Euboea, send one apiece; and there is one for Euboea. Of the Peloponnesian states Argos, Sicyon, and Corinth, with Megara, contribute one; and there is one for Athens. The cities of Athens, Delphi, and Nicopolis send members to every session of the Amphictyonic council; but out of the nations enumerated above, each city has its turn, at periodic intervals, of sending members to the Amphictyonic council. 4. On entering the city you come to a row of temples. The first of them was in ruins, and the next was empty both of images and statues. The third contained portrait statues of a few Roman emperors ; and the fourth is called the temple of Forethought Athena. The image in the fore-temple is an offering of the Massiliots, and is larger than the image in the interior. Massilia is a colony of Phocaea in Ionia, founded by some of those who fled from Phocaea to avoid Harpagus the Mede. Having beaten the Carthaginians at sea they made themselves masters of the land which they now hold, and attained to a high pitch of prosperity. The votive offering of the Massiliots is of bronze. The golden shield given by Croesus the Lydian to Forethought Athena was said by the Delphians to have been carried off by Philomelus. Beside the sanctuary of Forethought is a precinct of the hero Phylacus, who is commonly said by the Delphians to have stood by them at the time of the Persian invasion. They say that in the open part of the gymnasium there once grew a wild wood, and that when Ulysses, during his visit to Autolycus, was hunting with the sons of Autolycus he here received from the boar the wound above the knee.
Turning to the left from the gymnasium and descending not more, I think, than three furlongs, you come to a river named Plistus, which flows into the sea at Cirrha, the port of Delphi. On the way up from the gymnasium to the sanctuary you have on the right of the road the water of Castaly, and it is sweet to drink. Some say that a native woman, others that a man Castalius, gave the spring its name. But Panyasis, son of Polyarchus, author of an epic poem on Hercules, says that Castaly was a daughter of Achelous; for of Hercules he says :— And having traversed snowy Parnassus on his swift feet He came to the immortal water of Castaly, daughter of Achelous. I have also heard another story that the water was a gift to Castaly from the river Cephisus ; and so Alcaeus also had represented it in his hymn to Apollo. This is especially confirmed by the evidence of the Lilaeans, who on certain stated days throw cakes of the country, and other things prescribed by custom, into the spring of the Cephisus, and they say that they appear again in Castaly.
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