150 On the Ancient HELLENES. 
ifted, was of the Hellenic race, cannot be doubted. The: de- 
fign, the ufefulnefs, the arrangement of the inftitution, evi- 
dently breathe an Hellenic original. It is not my intention at 
prefent to enter upon a detail of the functions or regulations of 
that celebrated court. I fhall only obferve, that the confederated 
ftates being twelve in number *, lodged their refpective interefts 
in the hands of that council or diet; that this council was 
formed of a certain number of deputies from each of the allied 
cantons ; and that thefe cantons were at firft fituated around the 
city of Delphi in Phocis, where the Amphictyones held their 
affembly. 
Tue arrival of new colonies, time after time, from the coaft 
of Phcenicia, which generally conquered, expelled, fubjected, 
or extirpated the indigenous inhabitants of thefe countries, 
when they refpectively made their defcents, fuggefted the idea 
of the confederacy juft mentioned. The Hellenes, in all pro- 
bability, projected the alliance. It was a fcheme fuitable to 
the refined fagacity of a political and enlightened people. This 
fuppofition becomes the more plaufible, when we reflect, that 
the arrangement is afcribed to a branch of the Hellenic fa- 
mily ¢. The Attics, ever prone to engrofs every thing great 
or meritorious to themfelves, have, of courfe, dignified this ideal 
perfonage with the Royal title. He always appears in the lift 
of their Kings. Self-prefervation, the moft powerful of all mo- 
tives, 
an imaginary perfon, which I think is highly probable. His etymology of the 
name is altogether fanciful; «ug fignifies round, around, about ; and he imagines there 
might be an obfolete Greek verb xtuw, defendo, whence the Latin zueo, now tueor. 
After the fame manner, we have xtaw, poffideo, now xraouci, xteww, occido, &c. The 
x is a mere adventitious prefix, calculated to invigorate the pronunciation. Ac- 
cording to this etymology, the word mphidtyones will import perfons whofe office 
it was to proteét all the circumjacent people. 
* Authors only enumerate eleven. See more on this fubject in the Appendix, 
Pp: 153- 
+ Some make him the fon of Devcation, others that of HELEN, 
