enotes an alliance or confederacy between princes and states for their mutual aid, either in attacking some common enemy, or in defending themselves. The word comes from liga, which in the corrupt Latin was used for a confederacy: Qya quis cum alio ligatur.

Leagues, among the Greeks, were of three sorts: 1. Σύνδεσις, σύνδεσμος, or Σύνδεσμος, whereby both parties were obliged to cease from hostilities, without even molesting the allies of each other; 2. Επιμαχία, whereby they engaged to lend assistance to each other in case of invasion; and, 3. Συμμαχία, whereby they engaged to have the same friends and enemies, and to assist each other upon all occasions. All these leagues were confirmed with oaths, and imprecations, and sacrifices. The victims most generally used were a boar, ram, or goat, sometimes all three; and sometimes bulls and lambs. They cut out the testicles of the animal, and stood upon them while they swore; and some of the hair of the victim was distributed to all present. Then they cut the animal's throat, which was called opissus, in Latin, ferire fedem.—This done, they repeated their oaths and imprecations, calling the gods to witness the honesty of their intentions. A libation was then made of wine, which at this time was mixed, to imply their conjunction and union: while this was pouring out, they prayed that the blood of him who should break the treaty might be poured out in like manner. Upon these occasions no part of the victim was eaten. Still further to increase the solemnity of this obligation, the league was engraven upon brass, fixed up in places of public concourses, and sometimes read at the solemn games. Some exchanged certain εὐφράτης or τεττάρα upon the occasion, and frequently sent embassadors, on some appointed day, to keep them in mind of their engagements to each other.

The ceremonies of the Romans in making leagues were performed by the Feiciales. See Feiciales.

Leagues of the Grisons, are a part of Switzerland, consisting of three subdivisions, viz. the upper league, the league of the house of God, and the league of the ten jurisdictions. See the article Grisons.

The League, by way of eminence, denotes that famous one on foot in France, from the year 1576 to 1593. Its intent was to prevent the succession of Henry IV. who was of the reformed religion, to the crown; and it ended with his abjuration of that faith.

The leaguers, or confederates, were of three kinds. The zealous leaguers aimed at the utter destruction not only of the Huguenots, but also of the ministry. The Spanish leaguers had principally in view the transferring the crown of France to the king of Spain, or the infant's daughter. The moderate leaguers aimed only at the extirpation of Calvinism, without any alteration of the government.