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Phocis (Greek:, also '''Phokida''', '''Phokis''') is an ancient district of central
Greece.
==Geography==
Phocis is about 1619 km² (625 mi²) in area, bounded on the west by
Ozolian Locris and
Doris, on the north by
Opuntian Locris, on the east by
Boeotia, and on the south by the
Corinthian Gulf. The massive ridge of
Parnassus (2459 m/8068 ft), which traverses the heart of the country, divides it into two distinct portions.
Being neither rich in material resources nor well placed for commercial enterprise, Phocis was mainly pastoral. No large cities grew up within its territory, and its chief places were mainly of strategic importance.
==History==
The early history of Phocis remains quite obscure. During the
Persian invasion of
480 BCE the Phocians at first joined in the national defence, but by their irresolute conduct at the
Battle of Thermopylae lost that position for the Greeks; at the
Battle of Plataea they were enrolled on the Persian side. In
457 an attempt to extend their influence to the headwaters of the
Cephissus in the territory of Doris brought a
Spartan army into Phocis in defence of the "metropolis of the Dorians". A similar enterprise against
Delphi in
448 was again frustrated by Sparta, but not long afterwards the Phocians recaptured the sanctuary with the help of the
Athenians, with whom they had entered into alliance in
454. The subsequent decline of Athenian land power had the effect of weakening this new connection; at the time of the
Peloponnesian War Phocis was nominally an ally and dependent of Sparta, and had lost control of Delphi.
In the
4th century BCE Phocis was constantly endangered by its Boeotian neighbours. After helping the Spartans to invade Boeotia during the
Corinthian War (
395–
94), the Phocians were placed on the defensive. They received assistance from Sparta in
380, but were afterwards compelled to submit to the growing power of
Thebes. The Phocian levy took part in the inroads of
Epaminondas into Peloponnesus, except in the final campaign of
Mantinea (
370–
62), from which their contingent was withheld. In return for this negligence the Thebans fastened a religious quarrel upon their neighbours, and secured a penal decree against them from the
Amphictyonic synod (
356). The Phocians, led by two capable generals,
Philomelus and
Onomarchus, replied by seizing Delphi and using its riches to hire a
mercenary army. With the help of these troops the Phocian League at first carried the war into Boeotia and
Thessaly, and though driven out of the latter country by
Philip of Macedon, maintained itself for ten years, until the exhaustion of the temple treasures and the treachery of its leaders placed it at Philip's mercy. The conditions which he imposed – the obligation to restore the temple funds, and the dispersion of the population into open villages – were soon disregarded. In
339 the Phocians began to rebuild their cities; in the following year they fought against Philip at
Chaeronea. Again in
323 they took part in the
Lamian War against
Antipater, and in
279 helped to defend Thermopylae against the
Gauls.
Henceforth little more is heard of Phocis. During the
3rd century BCE it passed into the power of Macedonia and of the
Aetolian League, to which in
196 it was definitely annexed. Under the dominion of the
Roman republic its national league was dissolved, but was revived by
Augustus, who also restored to Phocis the votes in the Delphic Amphictyony which it had lost in
346 and enrolled it in the new Achaean synod. The Phocian League is last heard of under
Trajan.
==Phocis today==
Phocis is today a prefecture and the capital is at
Amphissa.
The communities include in the present-day Phocis or Phokis are Amfissa,
Delphi (near
Boeotia),
Galaxidi,
Itea.
==External link and references==
*
Fanaticus website: Phokians, 668–450BC
''This article incorporates text from the
public domain 1911 Encyclopdia Britannica.''
