Chapter Philosopher's Tree to Phoenix Period of P by Brewer's Phrase & Fable

Phlegethon A river of liquid fire in Hades. (Greek, phlego, to burn.)

“Fierce Phlegethon,
Whose waves of torrent fire inflame with rage.”
   Milton: Paradise Lost, ii.

Phlegra, in Macedonia, was where the giants attacked the gods. Encelados was the chief of the giants.

Phlogiston The principle or element of heat, according to Stahl. When latent the effect is imperceptible, but when operative it produces all the effects of heat from warmth to combustion. Of course, this theory has long been exploded. (Greek, phlogiston, inflammable.)

Phocensian Despair Desperation which terminates in victory. In the days of Philip, King of Macedon, the men of Phocis had to defend themselves single-handed against the united forces of all their neighbours, because they presumed to plough a sacred field belonging to Delphi. The Phocensians suggested that they should make a huge pile, and that all the women and children should join the men in one vast human sacrifice. The pile was made, and everything was ready, but the men of Phocis, before mounting the pile, rushed in desperation on the foe, and obtained a signal victory.

Phocion surnamed The Good, who resisted all the bribes of Alexander and his successor. It was this real patriot who told Alexander to turn his arms against Persia, their common enemy, rather than against the states of Greece, his natural allies.

“Phocion the Good, in public life severe.
To virtue still inexorably firm.”
   Thomson: Winter.

Phoebe The moon, sister of Phoebus.

Phoebus The sun or sun-god. In Greek mythology Apollo is called Phoebos (the sun-god), from the Greek verb phao (to shine).

“The rays divine of vernal Phoebus shine.”
   Thomson: Spring.

Phoenix Said to live a certain number of years, when it makes in Arabia a nest of spices, sings a melodious dirge, flaps his wings to set fire to the pile, burns itself to ashes, and comes forth with new life, to repeat the former one. (See Phoenix Period.)

“The enchanted pile of that lonely bird,
Who sings at the last his own death-lay,
And in music and perfume dies away.”
Thomas Moore: Paradise and the Peri.

   Phoenix, as a sign over chemists' shops, was adopted from the association of this fabulous bird with alchemy. Paracelsus wrote about it, and several of the alchemists employed it to symbolise their vocation.
   A phoenix among women. A phoenix of his kind. A paragon, unique; because there was but one phoenix at a time.

“If she be furnished with a mind so rare,
She is alone the Arabian bird.”
   Shakespeare: Cymbeline, 1.7.

   The Spanish Phoenix. Lope de Vega is so called by G. H. Lewes.

“Insigne poeta, a cuyo verso o prosa
Ninguno le aventaja ni aun Mega.”

Phoenix Alley (London). The alley leading to the Phoenix theatre, now called Drury Lane.

Phoenix Park (Dublin). A corruption of the Gaelic Fion-uise (fair water), so called from a spring at one time resorted to as a chalybeate spa.

Phoenix Period or Cycle, generally supposed to be 500 years; Tacitus tells us it was 250 years; R. Stuart Poole that it was 1,460 Julian years, like the Sothic Cycle; and Lipsius that it was 1,500 years. Now, the phoenix is said to have appeared in Egypt five times: (1) in the reign of Sesostris; (2) in the reign of Am- asis; (3) in the reign of Ptolemy Philadelphos; (4) a year or two prior to the death of Tiberius; and (5) in A.D. 334, during the reign of Constantine. These dates being accepted, a Phoenix Cycle consists of 300 years: thus, Sesostris, B.C. 866; Am-asis, B.C. 566; Ptolemy, B.C. 266; Tiberius, A.D. 34; Constantine, A.D. 334. In corroboration of this suggestion it must be borne in mind that Jesus Christ, who died A.D. 34,