▁unknown ; ▁however ▁the ▁literary ▁sources ▁mention ▁that ▁they ▁were ▁already ▁taking ▁place ▁in ▁the ▁ 4 th ▁century ▁B . C . ▁It ▁seems ▁that ▁they ▁were ▁interrupted ▁in ▁the ▁ 3 rd ▁century ▁B . C ., ▁but ▁they ▁started ▁again ▁in ▁the ▁ 2 nd ▁century ▁B . C ., ▁in ▁a ▁period ▁when ▁Ath ens ▁reg ained ▁its ▁prest ige ▁with ▁the ▁gener ous ▁benef actions ▁of ▁the ▁H ellen istic ▁k ings ▁of ▁Asia ▁Minor . ▁ ▁Our ▁main ▁sources ▁for ▁the ▁P yth a ids ▁remain ▁the ▁length y ▁ins cri ptions ▁which ▁were ▁car ved ▁on ▁the ▁external ▁walls ▁of ▁the ▁A then ian ▁Tre as ury , ▁recording ▁the ▁names ▁of ▁the ▁participants ▁and ▁other ▁useful ▁detail . ▁As ▁far ▁as ▁literary ▁sources ▁are ▁concerned , ▁the ▁main ▁testim ony ▁belongs ▁to ▁Stra bo , ▁who ▁mentions ▁A el ius ▁Arist ides ▁and ▁E ph or os , ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁the ▁lex ic ograph ers . ▁ ▁Furthermore , ▁a ▁careful ▁reading ▁of ▁the ▁Del ph ic ▁H ym ns ▁to ▁Apol lo ▁ill umin ates ▁the ▁myth ological ▁connections ▁that ▁the ▁A then ians ▁tried ▁to ▁establish . ▁Thus , ▁Apol lo ▁is ▁born ▁under ▁an ▁o live ▁tree , ▁the ▁sacred ▁tree ▁of ▁the ▁god dess ▁Ath ena , ▁a ▁fact ▁which ▁reflect s ▁the ▁A then ian ▁supre m acy ▁over ▁the ▁Del ian ▁League ▁and ▁its ▁tre as ury . ▁ ▁Furthermore , ▁the ▁tra ged y ▁" I on