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PRESERVATION OF THE NATIONAL CHARACTER. 91Magnesians, Phthiotians, Maleans, 1Phocians, GEtseans, Locrians;the twelfth state was probably the Dolopians.2Every city belonging to these tribes, had the right of sending deputiesthe smallest had an ; equal right with thelargest and the votes of all were ; equal ;of the lonians,says JSschines, the deputies from Eretria in Euboea andfrom Priene in Asia Minor, 3 were equal to those from'Athens ;of the Dorians, those from Dorium in Laconia, andfrom Cytinium on Parnassus, had as much weight as thosefrom Lacedasmon. But the votes were not counted bycities, but by tribes; each tribe had two votes, and the-majority decided. 4And how large was the sphere of action, in which thisassembly was accustomed to exert its influence ? Its firstduty was to take charge of the temple ; its property ; itspresents, the offerings of piety ; its sanctity. From this itnaturally follows, that the assembly possessed judiciary powers. Persons who had committed sacrilege on the temple,were summoned before its tribunal, where judgment waspassed and the acts of penance and punishment decreed. 5But to these, political objects were added at a very earlyperiod such as the ;preservation of peace amongthe confederates, and the accommodating of contentions, whichhad arisen. We have,it is true, no proof,that those whoparticipated in the assembly considered themselves as nearlyallied to each other ;but it is as little doubtful, that underthe protection of this sanctuary, certain ideas arose and werediffused, which might be considered as forming, in some1The four last were all in Thessaly. The reason of their being thus distinguished from the rest of the Thessalians is probably to be found in theprivilege, which they had preserved, of a separate vote.divides them in the same manner.Herodotus, vii. 132,2Heeren, p.39.3 It is therefore certain, that the individual colonies in Asia Minor participated in the assembly. "We might suggest the question, whether all theAsiatic colonies, and whether colonies in other regions, did the same.4For all further knowledge which we have of the of the Amphictyoniccouncil, we are indebted to Strabo, ix, p. 289. According to himregulationseach city sent a deputy. These assembled twice a year, at the equinoxes.We are ignorantof the length of the sessions of the assembly, whether anydefinite time was fixed for them, or not; and of many other things respectingthem.5As for instance, against the Phocians at the beginning of the last sacredwar ;and afterwards against the Locrians. Demosthenes has preserved forus two of these decrees, (do^ara,) Op. i. p. 2J8. Eeisk. From them we learnthe forms in which they were written.