in Antiquity, a festival celebrated every ninth year by the Boeotians, in honour of Apollo, surnamed Ismenius or Galaxias. It was so called from the laurel branches borne by those who took part in its celebration, which was conducted as follows:—An olive-bough was adorned with garlands of laurel and various kinds of flowers, and on the top of it was fixed a brazen globe, from which smaller globes were suspended. About its middle were arranged purple garlands, and a globe of size inferior to that at the top, while the lowest part of the bough was enveloped with a saffron-coloured covering. The uppermost globe represented Apollo or the sun; that in the middle was an emblem of the moon; while the others were symbols of the stars. The garlands, in number 365, indicated the course of the year. The bough, thus adorned, was carried in solemn procession to the temple of Apollo, where supplicatory hymns were sung to the god. At the head of this procession walked the Δαρφυρός, or chosen priest of Apollo for that year, who was a youth selected for his strength and beauty from one of the most distinguished families of Thebes, and whose parents were both living. He was arrayed in a magnificent robe which reached to his feet, his hair hung loose and dishevelled, on his head was a golden crown, in his hand he bore a branch of laurel, and on his feet were a kind of shoes called *iphiateridae*, from the Athenian Iphicrates, who first introduced them. Immediately before him walked his nearest kinsman, bearing the olive bough above mentioned; and after him followed a choir of virgins with branches in their hands and singing hymns. This festival was of great antiquity; and similar festivals appear to have been celebrated in other parts of Greece. The Daphnephoria was instituted on the following occasion:—When an oracle advised the Æolians, who inhabited Arne and the adjacent country, to abandon their ancient possessions and go in quest of a settlement, they laid siege to Thebes, which was at the same time attacked by the Pelasgians, and ravaged the adjoining country. As the celebration of Apollo's festival was near, both nations, who religiously observed it, laid aside their 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 Apollo. The day on which this solemnity was observed, there appeared in a dream to Polematas, the general of the Boeotian forces, a youth who presented him with a complete suit of armour, and commanded the Boeotians to offer solemn prayers to Apollo, with laurel boughs in their hands, every ninth year. Three days after this vision Polematas made a salutary upon the besiegers, and with such success that they were compelled to relinquish their enterprise. He accordingly instituted a non-annual festival to the god who had favoured the Boeotians.