The functions of the league were limited to the Amphictyonic tribes and whether or not its early, and undefined, and obscure purpose, was to check wars among the confederate tribes, it could not attain even that object.

Its offices were almost wholly confined to religion.

The league never interfered when one Amphictyonic state exercised the worst severities against the other, curbing neither the ambition of the Athenian fleet nor the cruelties of the Spartan sword.

But, upon all matters relative to religion, especially to the worship of Apollo, the assembly maintained an authority in theory supreme--in practice, equivocal and capricious.
As a political institution, the league contained one vice which could not fail to destroy its power.

Each city in the twelve Amphictyonic tribes, the most unimportant as the most powerful, had the same number of votes.