DAPHNEPHORIA, a festival in honour of Apollo, celebrated every ninth year by the Boeotians. It was then usual to adorn an olive bough with garlands of laurel and other flowers, and place on the top a brazen globe, on which were suspended smaller ones. In the middle was placed a number of crowns, and a globe of inferior size, and the bottom was adorned with a saffron-coloured garment. The globe on the top represented the sun or Apollo. That in the middle was an emblem of the moon, and the other of the stars. The crowns, which were 65 in number, represented the sun's annual revolution. This bough was carried in solemn procession by a beautiful youth of an illustrious family, and whose parents were both living. The youth was dressed in rich garments which reached to the ground, his hair hung loose and dishevelled, his head was covered with a golden crown, and he wore on his feet shoes called Iphicratidee, from Iphicrates an Athenian, who first invented them. He was called Androgeus, laurel-bearer; and at the time he executed the office of priest of Apollo. He was preceded by one of his nearest relations, bearing a rod adorned with garlands, and behind him followed a train of virgins with branches in their hands. In this order the procession advanced as far as the temple of Apollo, surnamed Ilmenius, where supplicatory hymns were sung to the god. This festival owes its origin to the following circumstance.—When an oracle advised the Ætolians, who inhabited Arne and the adjacent country, to abandon their ancient possessions, and go in quest of a settlement, they invaded the Theban territories, which at that time were pillaged by an army of Pelagians. As the celebration of Apollo's festival was near, both nations, who religiously observed it, laid aside all hostilities, and according to custom cut down laurel boughs from Mount Helicon, and in the neighbourhood of the river Melas, and walked in procession in honour of the divinity. The day that this solemnity was observed, Polematas the general of the Boeotian army saw a youth in a dream, that presented him with a complete suit of armour, and commanded the Boeotians to offer solemn prayers to Apollo, and walk in procession with laurel boughs in their hands every ninth year. Three days after this dream, the Boeotian general made a sally, and cut off the greatest part of the besiegers, who were compelled by this blow to relinquish their enterprise. Polematas immediately instituted a novennial festival to the god, who seemed to be the patron of the Boeotians.