The action of the women of Phocis hath not fallen under the cognizance
of any noted writer of that age, and yet there was never a more
memorable deed of virtue wrought by women,—the which is attested by
those famous sacred rites performed by the Phocians at Hyampolis,
and by ancient decrees. The total history of the transaction is
particularly recorded in the Life of Daiphantus.
The story of those women is this. There was an implacable war between
the Thessalians and the Phocians. For these (the Phocians) slew all
the Thessalian governors and magistrates in the cities of Phocis in
one day. Whereupon they (the Thessalians) slew two hundred and fifty
Phocian hostages, and with their whole host marched up against them
through Locris, publishing their resolution to spare no men that were
of age, and to sell the women and children for slaves. Daiphantus
therefore, the son of Bathyllius, a triumvir, governor of Phocis,
persuaded the Phocian men themselves to go to meet the Thessalians in
battle; but as for the women, together with their children, that they
should assemble them from all the parts of Phocis into one place, which
they should pile round with combustible matter, and should leave a
watch, to whom they should give in charge, that if he perceived that
the men were conquered, he should immediately set fire to the pile and
burn all the bodies to ashes. The counsels were agreed to by some, but
one stands up and saith: It is just that these things be consented to
by the women also, and if they do not cheerfully submit to it, they
should have no force offered to them. The account of this discourse
being come to the women, they assembled together by themselves, and
carried it by vote, and applauded Daiphantus as a man that best
consulted the affairs of Phocis; they say also, that the children
meeting together privately voted the same things. These matters being
thus settled, the Phocians joining battle at Cleonae, a town of
Hyampolis, got the victory. Hence the Grecians call this vote of the
Phocian women Aponoia (the desperate resolve). And of all the festivals
this of the Elaphebolia is the greatest, which they observe to Diana in
Hyampolis to this day, in remembrance of this victory.