G R E 
more (Iriking tliaii that between Argolis and Achaia. 
The citizens of Argos, having expelled their kings, 
were feized with an ambition to domineer over the infe¬ 
rior tov\ ns in the province. The infolence of the capi¬ 
tal provoked the indi nation of the country. Mycenae, 
Traszei-e, Epidanrus, and oilier plac es of let's note, were 
often conquered, bur never thoroitgltly fill dued. In- 
tereft taught them to unite; and union enabled them to 
fet at defiance 'lie power of Argos, by which they were 
branded as rebellieus, and which fliey reproached as 
tyrami'cal. The fortunate dillrift of Achaia, having 
fuccef'fully refifted the oppretlion of Ogygus, an un¬ 
worthy defeendant of Agamemnon, eftablillied, at a very 
early period, a democratical form of policy. Twelve 
cities, each of which retained its municipal jurifdidlion, 
united on a foot of perfeCf equality and freedom. This 
equitable confederacy prepared the way for the Achaean 
laws, fo celebrated in later times, v lien the caule of 
Greece, fliamefitlly abandoned by more powerful guar¬ 
dians, WHsdefended by the feeble communities of Achaia. 
■We h ive already noticed the important inftitutiofts 
of Iphinis and Lycurgus. 1 Ite veiy oppofite fyftems 
adopted by thefe great legiflators, refpertively liiited 
the weaknefs of Elis and the (Irengfh of Sparta, and oc- 
cafioned a remaikable contraft between the peaceful 
tranquillity of the former republic, and the wailike am¬ 
bition of ilie latter, the lines of vvhofe national charac¬ 
ter grew more bold and decifive after the Melfenian 
conquelf. The haughty temper of the Spartans became 
continually more prelumptuous. They totally difdained 
fuch arts and employments as they ufually faw prattil'ed 
by the indiifiry of flaves. 'War, and hunting as the 
image of war, were the only occupations which it fuited 
their dignity to purl'ue; and this conftant exercife in 
arms, diretted by the military code of Lycurgus, ren¬ 
dered them fuperior in the field of battle, not only to 
the neighbouring dates of Peloponnefus, but to the 
braved and mod renowned republics beyond the Co¬ 
rinthian idhmus. 
Having abolidied the regal office, the Athenians, 
whofe political revolutions were followed with remark¬ 
able uniformity by neighbouring dates, fubmitted the 
chief adminidration of their alfairs, as above noticed, 
to a magidrate iniitlcd archon. The authority of the 
archon long continued hereditary: it became afterwards 
decennial : at length n.inc annual archons were appointed 
by the powerful clafs of nobility, confiding not only of 
the defeendants of fuch foreign princes as had taken 
refuge in Athens, but of thofe Athenian families which 
time and accident liad raifed to opulence and didindfion. 
The great body of the people gained nothing by thefe 
revolutions. The eqiiedrian order, fo called from their 
fighting on horfeback, whicli, before the improvement 
of tadtics, rendered them luperior in every rencounter 
with the diforderly rabble, enjoyed all authority, reli¬ 
gious, civil, and military. Tiie Athenian populace, 
about the year before Chrid 594, were reduced to a 
couditioii of miferable fervitude; nor did they recover 
their liereditary freedom, until the admired inditutions 
of Thefeus were 1 edored and improved by Solon, towards 
the beginning of the lixth century before Chrid. 
The domcdic didendons wliich prevailed in almod 
every date beyond the idhmus, were only interrupted 
by foreign hodilities. Interference of intertd occalioned 
innumerable conteds between the Phocians and Thebans, 
the Dorians and Thed’alians, the Locrians and iEtolians. 
Their various inroads, battles, and lieges, which were 
begun with paffion, carried on without prudence, and 
concluded without producing any permanent eii'ett, 
have been configned to a jult oblivion. But the fird 
facred war is recommended to our attention, both on 
account of the caufe from whicIi it arole, and the con- 
fequences with which it was attended. 1 his memorable 
enterprize was occalioned by ah injury comuiitted againd 
the oracle of Delphi j it was undertaken by order of the 
E C E. 647 
Ampl.iffyons; ft ended in tlie total dedniffion of the 
cities acciifed of fsrr,legions oiitrage; and i^s conclu. 
don was relel iated by 'lie Pyrliian g.tines and fellival ; 
vTi'cli, of all Grecian inditutions, had the mod diredt 
as well as mod powerful tendency to refine rudenefs and 
fofren barbarity. 
The territory of the CrifTeans, lying to the foiuh of 
Delplii, near the Corinthian gulph, comprehended three 
magnificent cities, Criffia the capital, Cirrha, and Aiui- 
cirrha, all advantageoufly fituaied for commerce, and 
placed in the midd of a didriCt whit It had acquired and 
deferved tlie epithet of Happy. 'I'heir harbour was fre¬ 
quented by the veffels, not only of Greece, but of Italy 
and Sicily; they carried on an cxtenfive foreign com¬ 
merce, and the neighbourhood of Delphi, at which it 
vas impodible to ariive without pading through their 
dominions, brought them condderable acceffions of 
wealth, as well as of dignity and refpeft. But thefe 
advantages, indead of latiafying, iiicreafed the natural' 
avidity of the Crideans. T hey levied a fevere impod 
on tlie pilgrims, whether Greeks or Barbarians, who 
vifited the temple of Apollo; a meafure direClly incon¬ 
fident with a decree of the Am: hiCtyons, which de¬ 
clared that all men Ihould have free accefs to the oracle. 
The Delphians remondrated againd tlie extortions of 
the CrifTeans; but tlicii remonllrances, indead of pro¬ 
ducing any happy eflebf, only exalperated men grown 
infolent through profperity, and at once determined 
them to plunder the rich Ihrinc of Delphi. Tlie ima¬ 
ginations of men were not prepared for fuch an event ; 
nor had any meafures been taken to prevent fucli an 
unexpedfed and abominable profanation. The enemy, 
meeting with no reddance, became maders of the tem¬ 
ple, and I'eized tlie invaluable oderings accumulated by 
the pious genei ofity of ages. Thence they palTed into, 
the facred wood, and, rendered furious tlirough pride 
or guilt, attacked, plundered, and murdered, the pro- 
mifeuous crowd, who were employed iu the ufual exer¬ 
cife of their devotions. The young were violated with 
a licentious rage which bade defiapee to decency and 
nature. Even a deputation of the AmpliiCtyons were 
repelled with blows and infults, wliile they vainly at. 
tempted to'flop the fatal progrei's of thefe frantic,and 
impious outi'ages, committed againlt every thing held . 
facred among men. 
The Amphiftyonic council, to whom it belonged to 
judge and to puniffi every atrocious enormity, met with 
confiderable oppofirion in proceeding again!}: the aggra¬ 
vated crimes of the Crilfeans; and it was not without 
encountering many difficulties, that Solon, one of the 
Athenian reprefentatives, roufed his ali'oeiates to the 
refolution of avenging the offended majelly of religion, „ 
the violated laws of nature, and their .own perfonal in- . 
juries. The meafures purl'ued on the occalion, were 
flow-and indecifive. The forces hrought into the field , 
were by no means equal to the enterprize for whicii they 
'were defigned ; they were not able, during nine fummers 
and winters, to reduce the towms ol' Crili'a and Cirrha; 
but which I'ubniitted in the tenth year of the war, rather , 
to the art than to the power of tlie beliegers. 
The Greeks had been for a long time too deeply en-., 
gaged in domeffic dilTenfions, to make eff'eCTual efforts 
for the glory of Apollo. Few adventurers repaired to 
the holy ffandard ; and the war, neither fupported by 
vigour of execution, nor directed by wifdom of delibea 
ration, languilhed under different generals. At length 
Eurylochus, aThell'alian prince, was entriifted witli the. 
command of the Amphiclyonic army. On feveral occa- 
fions he debated the Crilfeans, who made frequent and 
vigorous, fillies in order to defend their polfellions. But 
when he attempted to make an impreffion on the forti¬ 
fied llrength of Crifla, its thick walls, its lofty towers, 
and, above all, the adtivity and courage of its citizens, 
prelented obftacles which it was impollible to furmount. 
The befieging army, in the ninth year of the war, was 
lorely 
