DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.9510#0069
54
memphis and mycen/e.
Pliny and Solinus make it 540 years"; and Solinus says
that others made it 12,954. Dexippos makes it 654 years1'.
Hesiod seems to have made it 972 years, or some multiple
of that0. Chasremon makes it 7006 years'1. And several
authors make it 1000 years0. But these statements are use-
less for determining dates, as there is nothing in them to
connect the former appearances of the phoenix with any
events on record.
Censorinus and Chalcidius associate the period of 1461
years with the dog-star, Sirius or Sothisf; and Censorinus
says that the period began when the dog-star rose on day 1
of month 1. Supposing that it rose at intervals of exactly
365^ days while the year had only 365, the rising would fall
a quarter of a day later every year ; and thus would eventually
come round again to day 1 of month 1 after the lapse of
four times 365J years, or 1461 years of 365 days each.
In the Canopic decree of 238 B.C. the rising of the dog-
star is placed on day 1 of month lOg. And as there were
thirty days in each month with five odd days at the end of
the year, day 1 of month 10 was 95 days from day 1 of
month 1 in the year after. Now, if the dog-star rose a
quarter of a day later every year, it would rise 95 days later
after the lapse of four times 95 years; and thus would rise
on day 1 of month 1 in 143 A.D. And an Alexandrian coin h of
143 A.D. has the figure of a phcenix with the legend aian.
a Pliny, x. 1; Solinus, 33. b Dexippos, apud Syncellum, p. 334.
c Plutarch, de defectu oraculorum, 11 ; Ausonius, idyllia, 18. 3-6; Pliny, vii.
49. According to these authors, Hesiod made a phcenix live nine times as long
as a raven, a raven three times as long as a stag, a stag four times as long as a
crow, and a crow nine times as long as a man. Plutarch says that some
understood a man's life to mean a year, others 30 years, and others 108. Ausonius
makes it 96.
d Chseremon, apud Tzetzen, chiliades, v. 397.
° Martial, epigrammata, v. 7; Claudian, idyllia, i. 27; Lactantius, de phcenice,
59; Nonnos, dionysiaca, xl. 395.
1 Censorinus, de die natali, 18; Chalcidius, in Timaeum, 125.
8 Gizeh Museum. Lepsius, Das bilingue Dekret von Kanopus, plate 3, line 18,
and plate 6, lines 36, 37.
h British Museum. Catalogue of Greek coins, Alexandria, no. 1004. The date
is year 6 of Antoninus Pius.
memphis and mycen/e.
Pliny and Solinus make it 540 years"; and Solinus says
that others made it 12,954. Dexippos makes it 654 years1'.
Hesiod seems to have made it 972 years, or some multiple
of that0. Chasremon makes it 7006 years'1. And several
authors make it 1000 years0. But these statements are use-
less for determining dates, as there is nothing in them to
connect the former appearances of the phoenix with any
events on record.
Censorinus and Chalcidius associate the period of 1461
years with the dog-star, Sirius or Sothisf; and Censorinus
says that the period began when the dog-star rose on day 1
of month 1. Supposing that it rose at intervals of exactly
365^ days while the year had only 365, the rising would fall
a quarter of a day later every year ; and thus would eventually
come round again to day 1 of month 1 after the lapse of
four times 365J years, or 1461 years of 365 days each.
In the Canopic decree of 238 B.C. the rising of the dog-
star is placed on day 1 of month lOg. And as there were
thirty days in each month with five odd days at the end of
the year, day 1 of month 10 was 95 days from day 1 of
month 1 in the year after. Now, if the dog-star rose a
quarter of a day later every year, it would rise 95 days later
after the lapse of four times 95 years; and thus would rise
on day 1 of month 1 in 143 A.D. And an Alexandrian coin h of
143 A.D. has the figure of a phcenix with the legend aian.
a Pliny, x. 1; Solinus, 33. b Dexippos, apud Syncellum, p. 334.
c Plutarch, de defectu oraculorum, 11 ; Ausonius, idyllia, 18. 3-6; Pliny, vii.
49. According to these authors, Hesiod made a phcenix live nine times as long
as a raven, a raven three times as long as a stag, a stag four times as long as a
crow, and a crow nine times as long as a man. Plutarch says that some
understood a man's life to mean a year, others 30 years, and others 108. Ausonius
makes it 96.
d Chseremon, apud Tzetzen, chiliades, v. 397.
° Martial, epigrammata, v. 7; Claudian, idyllia, i. 27; Lactantius, de phcenice,
59; Nonnos, dionysiaca, xl. 395.
1 Censorinus, de die natali, 18; Chalcidius, in Timaeum, 125.
8 Gizeh Museum. Lepsius, Das bilingue Dekret von Kanopus, plate 3, line 18,
and plate 6, lines 36, 37.
h British Museum. Catalogue of Greek coins, Alexandria, no. 1004. The date
is year 6 of Antoninus Pius.