amphictyony

amphictyony
/am fik"tee euh nee/, n., pl. amphictyonies.
(in ancient Greece) any of the leagues of states, esp. the league at Delphi, united for mutual protection and the worship of a common deity.
[1825-35; < Gk Amphiktyonía. See AMPHICTYON, -Y3]

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▪ ancient Greece
also spelled  amphictiony (from Greek amphiktyones, “dwellers around”) 

      in ancient Greece, association of neighbouring states formed around a religious centre. The most important was the Amphictyonic League (Delphic Amphictyony). Originally composed of 12 tribes dwelling around Thermopylae, the league was centred first on the shrine of Demeter and later became associated with the Temple of Apollo at Delphi. Member states sent two kinds of deputies (pylagorai and hieromnēmones) to a council (pylaia) that met twice a year and administered the temporal affairs of the shrines and their properties, supervised the treasury, and conducted the Pythian Games. In the 4th century BC the league rebuilt the Delphic temple. Although primarily religious, the league exercised a political influence through its membership oath, forbidding destruction of member cities or the cutting off of water supplies; the hieromnēmones could punish offenders and even proclaim a sacred war against them. Other important amphictyonies were the Delian and, in the Archaic period, the Calaurian (composed of states around the Saronic Gulf).

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Universalium. 2010.

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  • amphictyony — [am fik′tē ə nē΄] n. pl. amphictyonies [Gr amphiktyonia: see AMPHICTYON] in ancient Greece, a confederation of states established around a religious center, as at Delphi amphictyonic [am fik′tēän′ik] adj …   English World dictionary

  • amphictyony — A word borrowed from institutions in classical Greece and applied by some historians of Israel to its supposed organization before the monarchy as a confederation of twelve clans. It was suggested that there was a central shrine at which a cultic …   Dictionary of the Bible

  • amphictyony — noun (plural nies) Etymology: Greek amphiktyonia, from amphiktiones neighbors, from amphi + ktiones, from ktizein to found, inhabit more at home Date: 1835 an association of neighboring states in ancient Greece to defend a common religious… …   New Collegiate Dictionary

  • amphictyony — noun A religious foundation or co operative shared between Greek city states during the classical period, typically to support the temple or cult of a deity shared by the city states. Also used academically to refer to similar arrangements in non …   Wiktionary

  • amphictyony — am·phic·ty·o·ny …   English syllables

  • amphictyony — am•phic•ty•o•ny [[t]æmˈfɪk ti ə ni[/t]] n. pl. nies anh (in ancient Greece) any of the leagues of states, esp. the league at Delphi, united for mutual protection and the worship of a common deity • Etymology: 1825–35; < Gk… …   From formal English to slang

  • amphictyony — noun an association of neighboring states or tribes in ancient Greece; established originally to defend a common religious center • Hypernyms: ↑political unit, ↑political entity …   Useful english dictionary

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  • Amphictyonies — Amphictyony Am*phic ty*o*ny, n.; pl. {Amphictyonies}. [Gr. ?.] (Grecian Hist.) A league of states of ancient Greece; esp. the celebrated confederation known as the Amphictyonic Council. Its object was to maintain the common interests of Greece.… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

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