AMPHICAEA
AMPHICAEA or
AMPHICLEIA (
Ἀμφίκαια, Herod.,
Steph. B. sub voce Ἀμφίκλεια, Paus.: Eth.
Ἀμφικαιεύς, Eth.
Ἀμφικλειεύς᾿, a town in the N. of Phocis, distant 60 stadia from Lilaea, and 15 stadia from Tithronium.
It was destroyed by the army of Xerxes in his invasion of Greece. Although Herodotus calls it Amphicaea, following the most ancient traditions, the Amphictyons gave it the name of Amphicleia in their decree respecting rebuilding the town.
It also bore for some time the name of OPHITEIA (
Ὀφιτεία), in consequence of a legend, which Pausanias relates.
The place was celebrated in the time of Pausanias for the worship of Dionysus, to which an inscription refers, found at
Dhadhí, the site of the ancient town. (
Hdt. 8.33;
Paus. 10.3.2,
10.33.9, seq.; Leake,
Northern Greece, vol. ii. pp. 75, 86.)
