or CRISA, in Ancient Geography, one of the oldest cities of Greece, was situated in Phocis at the foot of one of the spurs of Mount Parnassus. Its name occurs both in the Iliad and in the Homeric hymns, where it is described as a powerful place, in the midst of a rich and fertile territory, reaching to the sea, and including within its limits the sanctuary of Pytho. In course of time the town of Delphi sprang up around the shrine, and Crissa began to decline in importance. Its decay was still further accelerated by the rise of its seaport, Cirrha, on the Crissan gulf. By the ancients themselves the name of Cirrha was so often substituted for that of Crissa, that it soon became doubtful whether these names indicated the same city or two different cities. The question has only recently been settled by the investigations of Ulrichs, who has eliminated with much care the history of the towns. From its position, Cirrha commanded the approach to Delphi, and its inhabitants soon became obnoxious to the Greeks from the heavy tolls which they exacted from the devotees who thronged to the shrine. The Amphictyonic council declared war against the Cirrheans in 595 B.C., and having taken the town, razed it to the ground, and consecrated its rich territory to the service of the temple at Delphi. The plunder of the town was sold to defray the expenses of the Pythian games. In 339 the people of Amphissa began to rebuild the city, and cultivate the adjoining plain. This act brought on the second sacred war, the conduct of which was intrusted by the Amphictyons to Philip of Macedon, who took Amphissa in the following year. Cirrha was afterwards rebuilt, but never regained its former importance.