A Dictionary of Greek and Roman biography and mythology. By various writers. Ed. by William Smith. Illustrated by numerous engravings on wood.

344 PHOENIX. PHOENIX.
260, as he ridiculed the league of Antigonus and resembling an eagle, with feathers partly red and
Pyrrhus in one of his comedies (Hesych. s. v. a3va- partly golden. (Comp. Achill. Tat. iii. 25.) Of
aira irnLrv). Meineke, therefore, fixes the time at this bird it is further related, that when his life
which he exhibited comedy at Athens about 01. drew to a close, he built a nest for himself in
127, B. C. 272. The following titles of his dramas Arabia, to which he imparted the power of generaare preserved: —AvA'ITPi3ES, MLWOov4ve or MlaOV- tion, so that after his death a new phoenix rose
peSvos, and 4,XAapXos. (Meineke, Frag. Corn. Graec. out of it. As soon as the latter was grown up,
vol. i. pp. 4811, 482, iv. pp. 509-512.) [P. S.] he, like his predecessor, proceeded to Heliopolis ill
PHOENIX (esoiree). 1. According to Homer Egypt, and burned and buried his father in the
the father of Europa (Hom. 1l. xiv. 321); but ac- temple of Helios. (Tac. Alin. vi. 28.) According
cording to others he was a son of Agenor by to a story which has gained more currency in moAgriope or Telephassa, and therefore a brother of dern times, Phoenix, when he arrived at a very
Europa. Being sent out by his fatherin search of old age (some say 500 and others 1461 years),
his sister, who was carried off by Zeus, he went to committed himself to the flames. (Lucian, De
Africa, and there gave his name to a people who Mort. Per. 27; Philostr. Vit. Apollon. iii. 49.)
were called after him Phoenices. (Apollod. iii. 1. Others, again, state that only one Phoenix lived at
~ 1; Eustath. ad Dionys. Perieg. 905; Hygin. Fab. a time, and that when he died a worm crept forth
178.) According to some traditions he became, by from his body, and was developed into a ilew
Perimede, the daughter of Oeneus, the father of Phoenix by the heat of the sun. His death, furAstypalaea and Europa (Pans. vii 4. ~ 2), by ther, took place in Egypt after a life of 7006 years.
Telephe the father of Peirus, Astypale, Europa, (Tzetz. Chil. v. 397, &c.; Plin. II. N. x. 2; Ov.
and Phoenice (Schol. ad Eurip. Phoen. 5), and by Met. xv. 392, &c.) Another modification of the
Alphesiboea, the father of Adonis. (Apollod. iii. same story relates, that when Phoenix arrived at
14. ~ 4.) the age of 500 years, he built for himself a funeral
2. A son of Amyntor by Cleobule or Hippoda- pile, consisting of spices, settled upon it, and died.
meia, was king of the Dolopes, and took part not Out of the decomposing body he then rose again,
only in the Calydonian hunt (Tzetz. ad Lycoph. and having grown up, he wrapped the remains of
421; Eustath. ad Ilom. p. 762; Hygin. Fab. 173; his old body up in myrrh, carried them to HelioOv. l4et. viii. 307), but being a friend of Peleus, polis, and burnt them there. (Pompon. Mela, iii.
he accompanied Achilles on his expedition against 8, in fin.; Stat. Silv. ii. 4. 36.) Similar stories of
Troy. (Hygin. Fab. 257; Ov. Heroid. iii. 27; marvellous birds occur in many parts of the East,
Apollod.' iii. 13. ~ 8.) His father Amyntor ne- as in Persia, the legend of the bird SimQrg, and in
glected his legitimate wife, and attached himself to India of the bird Semendar. (Comp. Bochart,
a mistress, but the former desired her son to dis- Hieroz. iii. p. 809.) [L. S. I
honour her rival. Phoenix yielded to the request PHOENIX (4o-v'Lu), historical. 1. A Theban,
of his mother, and Amyntor, who discovered it, who was one of the leaders in the insurrection
cursed him, and prayed that he might never be against Alexander, on which account the king,
blessed with any offspring. Phoenix now desired when he appeared before the city, sent to demand his
to quit his father's house, but his relations com- surrender, together with Prothytas. The Thebans
pelled him to remain. At last, however, he fled to treated the request with derision, and demanded
Peleus, who received him kindly, made him the in return that Alexander should give up to them
ruler of the country of the Dolopes, on the frontiers Philotas and Antipater. (Plut. Alex. 11.)
of Phthia, and entrusted to him his son Achilles, 2. A native of Tenedos, who held a high rank
whom he was to educate. (Hom. I. ix. 447, &c.) in the army of Eumenes, B. c. 321. In the great
According to another tradition, Phoenix did not battle fought by the latter against Craterus and
dishonour his father's mistress (Phthia or Clytia), Neoptolemus, the command of the left wing, which
but she merely accused him of having made im- was opposed to Craterus, was entrusted to Phoenix
proper overtures to her, in consequence of which and Pharnabazus, and composed principally of
his father put out his eyes. But Peleus took him Asiatic troops; Eumenes being apprehensive of
to Cheiron, who restored to him his sight. (Apollod. opposing any Macedonians to a general so popular
iii.' 13. ~ 8.) Phoenix moreover is said to have with his countrymen. As soon as they came ill
called the son of Achilles Neoptolemus, after Ly- sight of the enemy the two commanders charged
comedes had called him Pyrrhus. (Paus. x. 26, the army of Craterus, which was unable to with~ 1.) Neoptolemus was believed to have buried stand the shock, and the aged general himself pePhoenix at E'on in Macedonia or at Trachis in rished in the confusion (Plut. Eum. 7). Shortly
Thessaly. (Tzetz. ad Lye. 417; Strab. ix. p. 428.) after we find Phoenix despatched by Eumenes with
It must further be observed, that Phoenix is one a select force against his revolted general Perdiccas,
of the mythical beings to whom the ancients ascribed whom he surprised by a rapid night march, and took
the invention of the alphabet. (Tzetz. Chil. xii. him prisoner almost without opposition (Diod.
68.) xviii. 40). After the fall of Eumenes Phoenix
3. We must notice here the fabulous bird appears to have entered the service of Antigonls,
Phoenix, who, according to a belief which Herodo- but in B. c. 310 he was persuaded by Ptolemy
tus (ii. 73) heard at Heliopolis in Egypt, visited (the nephew and general of the king of Asia), to
that place once in every five hundred years, on his whom he was attached by the closest friendship, to
father's death, and buried him in the sanctuary of join the latter in his defection from Antigonus.
Helios. For this purpose Phoenix was believed to Phoenix at this time held the important command
come from Arabia, and to make an egg of myrrh of the Hellespontine Phrygia, on which account
as large as possible; this egg he then hollowed out Antigonus hastened to send an army against him
and put into it his father, closing it up carefully, under the command of his younger son Philippus
and the egg was believed then to be of exactly the (Id. xx. 19). The result of the operations is not
same weight as before. This bird was represented mentioned; but Phoenix seems to have been not