▁time ▁as ▁a ▁prayer ▁for ▁similar ▁bless ings ▁and ▁protection ▁against ▁evil ▁in ▁future ; ▁hence , ▁it ▁was ▁called ▁a ▁supp li ant ▁branch ▁( ε <0xE1> <0xBC> <0xB6> ρ ος ). ▁The ▁name ▁is ▁usually ▁derived ▁from ▁ ἔ ρ ι ο ν ▁" wo ol " ▁in ▁reference ▁to ▁the ▁w ool en ▁bands , ▁but ▁some ▁connect ▁it ▁with ▁ ε ἰ ρ - / ἐ ρ - ▁" spe ak " ▁( cf . ▁ ε <0xE1> <0xBC> <0xB4> ρ ω ▁" I ▁speak "; ▁ ἐ ρ ῶ ▁" I ▁will ▁say "), ▁the ▁e ires ione ▁being ▁regarded ▁as ▁the ▁sp okes man ▁of ▁the ▁supp li ants . ▁It ▁was ▁carried ▁in ▁process ion ▁by ▁a ▁boy ▁whose ▁parents ▁were ▁both ▁alive ▁to ▁the ▁temple ▁of ▁Apol lo , ▁where ▁it ▁was ▁susp ended ▁on ▁the ▁gate . ▁The ▁doors ▁of ▁private ▁houses ▁were ▁similarly ▁ad orn ed . ▁The ▁branch ▁was ▁allowed ▁to ▁hang ▁for ▁a ▁year , ▁when ▁it ▁was ▁replaced ▁by ▁a ▁new ▁one , ▁since ▁by ▁that ▁time ▁it ▁was ▁supposed ▁to ▁have ▁lost ▁its ▁virtue . ▁During ▁the ▁process ion ▁a ▁chant ▁( also ▁called ▁e ires ione ) ▁was ▁s ung , ▁the ▁text ▁of ▁which ▁has ▁been ▁preserved ▁in ▁Pl ut arch ▁( Th ese us , ▁ 2 2 ): ▁" E ires in ▁car ries ▁fig s ▁and ▁rich ▁c akes ; ▁H oney ▁and ▁oil ▁in ▁a ▁jar ▁to ▁an oint ▁the ▁lim bs ;