A New System; or, an Analysis of Antient Mythology. Volume 2 (of 6)

PHOENIX AND PHOENICES.

As there has been much uncertainty about the purport and extent of these terms; and they are of great consequence in the course of history; I will endeavour to state their true meaning. Phoinic, or Poinic, was an Egyptian and Canaanitish term of honour; from whence were formed [Greek: Phoinix, Phoinikes, Phoinikoeis] of the Greeks, and Phoinic, Poinicus, Poinicius of the Romans; which were afterwards changed to Phoenix, Punicus, and [1]Puniceus. It was originally a title, which the Greeks made use of as a provincial name: but it was never admitted as such by the people, to whom it was thus appropriated, till the Greeks were in possession of the country. And even then it was but partially received: for though mention is made of the coast of Phoenice, yet we find the natives called Sidonians, Tyrians, and [2]Canaanites, as late as the days of the Apostles. It was an honorary term, compounded of Anac with the Egyptian prefix; and rendered at times both Phoinic and Poinic. It signified a lord or prince: and was particularly assumed by the sons of Chus and Canaan. The Mysians seem to have kept nearest to the original pronunciation, who gave this title to the God Dionusus, and called him Ph'anac.

[3]Ogygia me Bacchum vocat, Osirin Ægyptus putat, Mysi Phanacem.

It was also conferred upon many things, which were esteemed princely and noble. Hence the red, or scarlet, a colour appropriated to great and honourable personages, was styled Phoinic. The palm was also styled Phoinic, [Greek: Phoinix]: and the antients always speak of it as a stately and noble tree. It was esteemed an emblem of honour; and made use of as a reward of victory. Plurimarum palmarum homo, was a proverbial expression among the Romans, for a soldier of merit. Pliny speaks of the various species of palms; and of the great repute in which they were held by the Babylonians. He says, that the noblest of them were styled the royal Palms; and supposes that they were so called from their being set apart for the king's use. But they were very early an emblem of royalty: and it is a circumstance included in their original name. We find from Apuleius, that Mercury, the [4]Hermes of Egypt, was represented with a palm branch in his hand: and his priests at Hermopolis used to have them stuck in their [5]sandals, on the outside. The Goddess [6]Isis was thus represented: and we may infer that Hermes had the like ornaments; which the Greeks mistook for feathers, and have in consequence of it added wings to his feet. The Jews used to carry boughs of the same tree at some of their festivals; and particularly at the celebration of their nuptials: and it was thought to have an influence at the birth. Euripides alludes to this in his Ion; where he makes Latona recline herself against a Palm tree, when she is going to produce Apollo and Diana.

[7][Greek: Phoinika Par' habrokoman] [Greek: Entha locheumata semn' elocheusato] [Greek: Latô.]

In how great estimation this tree was held of old, we may learn from many passages in the sacred writings. Solomon says to his espoused, [8]_how fair and how pleasant art thou, O Love, for delights: thy stature is like a Palm tree_. And the Psalmist for an encouragement to holiness, says, [9]_that the righteous shall flourish like the Palm tree_: for the Palm was supposed to rise under a weight; and to thrive in proportion to its being [10]depressed. There is possibly a farther allusion in this, than may at first appear. The antients had an opinion, that the Palm was immortal: at least, if it did die, it recovered again, and obtained a second life by renewal. Hence the story of the bird, styled the Phoenix, is thought to have been borrowed from this tree. Pliny, in describing the species of Palm, styled Syagrus, says, [11]Mirum de eâ accepimus, cum Phoenice Ave, quæ putatur ex hujus Palmæ argumento nomen accepisse, iterum mori, et renasci ex seipsà. Hence we find it to have been an emblem of immortality among all nations, sacred and prophane. The blessed in heaven are represented in the Apocalypse by St. John, [12]as standing before the throne in white robes, with branches of Palm in their hands. The notion of this plant being an emblem of royalty prevailed so far, that when our Saviour made his last entrance into Jerusalem, the people took branches of Palm trees, and accosted him as a prince, crying, [13]_Hosanna--blessed is the King of Israel_.

The title of Phoinic seems at first to have been given to persons of great stature: but, in process of time, it was conferred upon people of power and eminence, like [Greek: anax] and [Greek: anaktes] among the Greeks. The Cuthites in Egypt were styled Royal Shepherds, [Greek: Basileis Poimenes], and had therefore the title of Phoenices. A colony of them went from thence to Tyre and Syria: hence it is said by many writers that Phoenix came from Egypt to Tyre. People, not considering this, have been led to look for the shepherd's origin in Canaan, because they were sometimes called Phoenices. They might as well have looked for them in Greece; for they were equally styled [14][Greek: Hellênes], Hellenes. Phoenicia, which the Greeks called [Greek: Phoinikê], was but a small part of Canaan. It was properly a slip of sea coast, which lay within the jurisdiction of the Tyrians and Sidonians, and signifies Ora Regia; or, according to the language of the country, the coast of the Anakim. It was a lordly title, and derived from a stately and august people. All the natives of Canaan seem to have assumed to themselves great honour. The Philistines are spoken of as [15]Lords, and the merchants of Tyre as Princes; whose grandeur and magnificence are often alluded to in the Scriptures. The prophet Ezekiel calls them the princes of the sea. [16]_Then all the princes of the sea shall come down from their thrones, and lay away their robes, and put off their broidered garments._ And Isaiah speaks to the same purpose. [17]_Who hath taken this counsel against Tyre, that crowning city, whose merchants are princes; whose traffickers are the honourable of the earth?_ The scripture term by which they are here distinguished is [Hebrew: SHRIM], Sarim: but the title which they assumed to themselves was Ph'anac, or Ph'oinac, the Phoenix of the Greeks and Romans. And as it was a mere title, the sacred writers of the old testament never make use of it to distinguish either the people or country. This part of Canaan is never by them called Phoenicia: yet others did call it so; and the natives were styled Phoenices before the birth of Homer. But this was through mistake; for it was never used by the natives as a provincial appellation. I have shewn that it was a title of another sort, a mark of rank and pre-eminence: on this account it was assumed by other people, and conferred upon other places. For this reason it is never mentioned by any of the sacred writers before the captivity, in order to avoid ambiguity. The Gentile writers made use of it; and we see what mistakes have ensued. There were Phoenicians of various countries. They were to be found upon the Sinus [18]Persicus, upon the Sinus [19]Arabicus, in Egypt, in [20]Crete, in [21]Africa, in [22]Epirus, and even in Attica. [23][Greek: Phoinikes--genos ti Athênêisi]. There is a race of people called Phoenicians among the [24]Athenians. In short, it was a title introduced at Sidon, and the coast adjoining, by people from Egypt: and who the people were that brought it may be known from several passages in antient history; but particularly from an extract in Eusebius, [25][Greek: Phoinix kai Kadmos, apo Thêbôn tôn Aiguptiôn exelthontes eis tên Surian, Turou kai Sidônos ebasileuon.] Phoenix and Cadmus, retiring from Thebes, in Egypt, towards the coast of Syria, settled at Tyre and Sidon, and reigned there. It is said, that [26]Belus carried a colony to the same parts: and from what part of the world [27]Belus must be supposed to have come, needs not to be explained. Euripides styles Cepheus the king of Ethiopia, the son of Phoenix: and Apollodorus makes him the son of Belus: hence we may infer, that Belus and Phoenix were the same. Not that there were any such persons as Phoenix and Belus, for they were certainly titles: and, under the characters of those two personages, Colonies, named Belidæ and Phoenices, went abroad, and settled in different parts. Their history and appellation may be traced from Babylonia to Arabia and Egypt; and from thence to Canaan, and to the regions in the west. It were therefore to be wished, that the terms Phoenix and Phoenicia had never been used in the common acceptation; at least when the discourse turns upon the more antient history of Canaan. When the Greeks got possession of the coast of Tyre, they called it Phoenicia: and from that time it may be admitted as a provincial name. In consequence of this, the writers of the New Testament do not scruple to make use of it, but always with a proper limitation; for the geography of the Scriptures is wonderfully exact. But the Greek and Roman writers often speak of it with a greater latitude, and include Judea and Palestina within its borders; and sometimes add Syria and Idume. But these countries were all separate and distinct; among which Phoenicia bore but a small proportion. Yet, small as it may have been, many learned men have thought, that all the colonies, which at times settled upon the coast of the Mediterranean, were from this quarter; and that all science was of Phoenician original. But this is not true according to their acceptation of the term. Colonies did settle; and science came from the east: but not merely from the Sidonian. I shall shew, that it was principally owing to a prior and superior branch of the family.