ABAE ("A(3ar.)  , a town in the N.E. corner of Phocis, in Greece, famous in early times for its oracle of Apollo, one of those consulted by Croesus (Herod. i . 46) . It was rich in treasures (Herod. viii . 33), but was sacked by the Persians, and the temple remained in a ruined state . The oracle was, however, still consulted, e.g. by the Thebans before Leuctra (Paus. iv . 32 . 5) . The temple seems to have been burnt again during the Sacred War, and was in a very dilapidated state when seen by Pausanias (x . 35), though some restoration, as well as the building of a new temple, was undertaken by Hadrian . The sanctity of the shrine ensured certain privileges to the people of Abae (Bull . Corresp . Hell. vi .

171), and these were confirmed by the

Romans . The polygonal walls of the acropolis may still be seen in a fair state of preserva-tion on a circular hill standing about 500 ft. above the little plain of Exarcho ; one gateway remains, and there are also traces of town walls below . The temple site was on a low spur of the hill, below the town . An early terrace wall supports a precinct in which are a stoa and some remains of temples ; these were excavated by the British School at Athens in 1894, but very little was found . See also W . M . Leake, Travels in Northern Greece, ii. p . 163; Journal of Hellenic Studies, xvi. pp . 291-312 (V . W . Yorke) . (E .