Ptolemy III and the Mythologem of the Phoenix in Egypt: Returning to the Classic Dating
Zelinskyi Andrii L.
Pliny the Elder, NH. X, as well as Cornelius Tacitus, Ann. VI, both mention the appearance of the mythical bird Phoenix in Egypt, which happened in the Hellenistic period of Egyptian history. By communis opinio, based solely on the testimony of Tacitus, this tradition emerged during the reign of Ptolemy III Euergetes (246–222 BC). However, I. A. Ladynin and K. V. Kuzmin, giving priority to Pliny’s message, date the appearance of the rumours about the phoenix to 312 BC, i. e. during the nominal reign of Alexander IV. The argument for considering both sources jointly, formulated in its final form by I. A. Ladynin, is convincing. However, Pliny’s story can be used to support the dating offered by Tacitus. The article argues that Pliny did not speak about 312 BC, but about 229 BC, referring to the reign of Ptolemy III. If this is correct, the rumours about phoenix’s appearance during the age of Ptolemy Euergetes were meant to emphasize successful overcoming of the humanitarian catastrophe caused by the series of low floods of the Nile in the first decade of his reign.
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