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150 APPENDIX concerning 
leaft were imagined to do fo by the deluded votaries. The re- 
{ponfes were generally conceived in fuch equivocal terms as left 
it in the power of the Hierophant to explain them in fuch a 
manner as might fave the credit of the Pythian god, be the iffue 
what it might. Numberlefs fables were circulated among the 
Greeks, with relation to the portents and prodigies which 
prompted the people in the neighbourhood of Parnaflus to erect 
this facred editice, and which attended the ere@ting of it. For 
my own part, I am fully convinced that it was a Hellenic efta- 
bliihment, founded by the emigrants of that colony from the 
neighbourhood of Dodona, and aétually copied from that ora- 
cle. Such changes were probably made as experience had 
pointed out for a courfe of feveral ages, during which the mo- 
ther Oracle had been in reputation. [mean not to compile a 
hiftory of this oracle; my intention is only to fhew, that the 
inftitution of the council of the Amphictyones is actually con- 
nected with this oracular eftablifhment. 
Tue concourfe to the temple of Delphi foon became im- 
menfe. Its fituation was happily chofen for that purpofe *. 
It lay nearly in the centre of thofe petty tribes which after- 
wards formed the Amphi¢tyonic affociation. Thefe ftates, as 
was obferved in the differtation, became jealous of the growing 
power of the oriental colonies. Delphi appeared to them a con- 
venient place for holding their conventions, agreed upon in or- 
der to concert meafures for their mutual fecurity. Both its 
fanétity and centrical pofition pointed it out as a place altoge- 
ther 
* Strazo, ubi fupra. It lay nearly in the centre of Greece, but the Greeks 
entertained an opinion, that it was fituated in the centre of the world—ougaass ts 
onsyuens, the navel of the habitable world. So StRaBo, lib.ix. p. 419. SoPpHOcE. 
in Oepip. Tyr. Eurir. in Mepea. et alibi. Puut. de defect. Orac. fub Init. 
Paus. lib. x. p.835. Pin. Pyth. iv.6. It was originally called Lycorea. Two 
Egyptian words compofe it. Ave in many languages fignifies ght, and OQ, fig- 
nifies the Suz. 
