1.50 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 refpeclive 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 Amphiclyones held their 

 afTembly. 



The arrival of new colonies, time after time, from the coaft 

 of Phoenicia, 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 f. 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 mod powerful of all mo- 

 tives, 



an imaginary perfon, which I think is highly probable. His etymology of the 

 name is altogether fanciful; *^i fignifies round, around, about ; and he imagines there 

 might be an obfolete Greek verb ktuu, defendo, whence the Latin tueo, now tueor. 

 After the fame manner, we have xraw, pojfideo, now Kraoftai, xteivw, occido, &c The 

 x is a mere adventitious prefix, calculated to invigorate the pronunciation. Ac- 

 cording to this etymology, the word Amphi&yones will import perfons whofe office 

 it was to protect all the circumjacent people. 



* Authors only enumerate eleven. See more on this fubject in the Appendix, 

 \ Some make him the fon of Deucalion, others that of Hellen. 



