The Beginning of the Sacred or Phocian War. Philomelus seizes the Temple at Delphos, after he had routed the Locrians. How the Oracle at Delphos was first discover'd; and the Beginning of the Tripode. The Athenians and others join with Philomelus.
AFter Callistratus was created Archon at Athens, and Marcus Fabius and Caius Plotius Consuls of Rome, the War call'd The Sacred War broke forth, which continu'd Nine Years: For Philomelus the Phocian (inferior to none in Impudence and Wickedness) having seiz'd the Temple at Delphos, occasion'd the Sacred War, on the Account following.
After the Lacedaemonians were routed by the Thebans at the Battel of Leuctra, the Thebans made great Complaints against them in the Court of the Amphictyons, for their seizing of Cadmea: Upon which, they were adjudg'd to pay to them a great Sum of Money. The Phocians likewise were accus'd, and condemn'd by the same Court to pay many Talents to the Use of the Oracle at Delphos, because they had intruded into a large Piece of Land, call'd Cirrhaea, belonging to the Oracle, and had till'd and plough'd it.
But the Mu • ct being neglected to be paid, the Hieromemones accus'd the Phocians in the Senate of the Amphictyons, and pray'd them if the Money were not paid, that the Lands of the sacrilegious Persons might be confiscated, and devoted to the Deity. They requird likewise, that the rest that were condemn'd (among whom were the Lacedaemonians) should pay what was due upon that account; and pray'd, That if they did not observe what was so order'd, that then they should be prosecuted as hateful Enemies by all the Grecians. This Decree of the Amphictyons being ratify'd and approv'd of by all the Greeks, the Country of the Phocians was upon the point of being devoted to those Sacred Uses. Philomelus, who was in greatest Esteem at that time amongst them, told the People, That the Fine was so excessive, that it could not possibly be paid; and to suffer their Country to be sacrific'd, it would not only argue them to be cowardly and poor spirited, but be dangerous to that degree, that it would tend to the utter Ruin of them and their Families: And he did all he could to make it out, that the Decree of the Amphictyons was most unjust, and highly injurious, inasmuch as for a little and inconsiderate Spot of Land, they had impos'd a Mulct far exceeding the Proportion and Merit of the Offence; and therefore advis'd them to rescind the Decree, and that there were Reasons sufficient to justifie their so doing: And among others he alledg'd, That heretofore the Oracle was under their Power and Protection; and cited the Verses of Homer, the most ancient and famous of all the Poets, as a Witness of the Truth of what he said, who speaks to this effect:
Therefore the Contest is to be for the Custody and Patronage of the Temple, which he said belong'd to the Ancestors of the Phocians; and that if they would commit to him the absolute Power, as Chief Commander in this Affair, he promis'd to manage it with the utmost Care and Dexterity.
Upon which, the Phocians (out of fear of the Mulct impos'd upon them) created Philomelus sole and absolute General. Hereupon Philomelus diligently pursu'd the Performance of his Promise; and to that end presently made a Journey to Sparta, and had private Conference concerning the Business with Archidomus, King of the Lacedaemonians, alledging, That it was as much the Interest and Concern of Archidomus, as his, to have the Decrees of the Amphictyons rescinded; for that the Amphictyons had injur'd likewise the Lacedaemonians unjustly, by giving Judgment against them. He thereupon discover'd to him his Design of seizing upon the Temple at Delphos; and that if he prevail'd inbringing the Oracle under his Care and Patronage, he would make void all the Decrees of the Amphictyons.
The Histories of Herodotus written in 440 BC is considered to be the founding work of history in Western literature. His history included stories and fables but he claimed to have traveled extensively and learned about many countries through direct observation.
The thesis of Stolen Legacy is that the Egyptians created what is wrongly called Greek philosophy. Dr. James argues that the African origin of Greek Philosophy is well known but rarely discussed. Ancient Greek historians such as Herodotus and Diodorus the Sicilian wrote in significant detail about the contributions of Egypt. Egyptian technology and libraries were unmatched and Greek philosophers such as Pythagoras and Plato studied there. The contribution of Africa to the intellectual foundation of modern knowledge is tremendous but unacknowledged.
The Library of History by Diodorus the Sicilian is one of the most highly regarded universal histories in antiquities. His work includes the history of Egypt, Asia, Africa, Greece and Europe. His book is a must read for research of ancient history.
Bible Study The King James Bible (kjv), World English Bible (web) and Bible in Basic English (bbe) are all examples of public domain books. The King James Bible (kjv) online uses the content from these books and open source software to enhance Bible study capabilities. The site includes the verse of the day, search tools, christian literature and links to related content. It demonstrates the use of open source to create a valuable service.