Page:The American Cyclopædia (1879) Volume XIII.djvu/493

 PHKYNE Colossae, where a Christian church was estab- lished ; Laodicea, the seat of another Chris- tian church ; Hierapolis, renowned for its min- eral springs; and nearer the centre of the province Docimeum, the marble of which was in high repute. The principal rivers were the Masander in the west and the Sangarius on the N. boundary. The country is a high table land, the soil in the north and west being fer- tile, but covered with salt marshes and lakes in the south. It was celebrated for its wool, agricultural produce, cheese, and salt provi- sions. The Phrygians were regarded as one of the most ancient nations of Asia Minor; according to some, including Herodotus, they were Thracians ; according to others, Arme- nians. The few linguistic remains point to an Iranian origin, though bearing some resem- blance to Greek. Among them is the epitaph of a king Midas, possibly a descendant of the legendary Phrygian king Midas who turned everything he touched into gold. Though lit- tle of their history is known, the Phrygians were to all appearance a nation of consider- able power and culture. The Phrygian religion was noted for the frenzied dances and self- mutilations of the priests and devotees. In early times they seem to have been governed by kings of their own. 'They were conquered by Croesus, king of Lydia, and along with the rest of his dominions became a part of the Persian empire. After the conquest and death of Alexander it belonged to the empire of the Seleucidaa. A rich portion of it, S. of the Sangarius, was annexed by Bithynia, but sub- sequently given by the Eomans to Pergamus under the name of Phrygia Epictetus. The main parts of Phrygia are now embraced in the Turkish vilayet of Khodavendighiar. PHRYNE, an Athenian hetaira or courtesan, of the latter part of the 4th century B. 0., born in Thespiae, Boeotia. She was of very humble birth, and at first was employed in gathering capers ; but her transcendent beauty attract- ing rich admirers, she acquired so much wealth that, after Alexander destroyed the walls of Thebes, she offered to rebuild them, if she could be permitted to put up the following inscription : " Alexander destroyed them, but Phryne the courtesan rebuilt them." Among her lovers were some of the most distinguished men of the age. Being accused of profaning the mysteries of Eleusis, she was brought be- fore the court of the heliasts, when the ora- tor Hyperides, perceiving that his eloquence would fail, secured her triumphant acquittal by unveiling her bosom before the judges. Praxiteles modelled from her the Cnidian Ve- nus, and the picture of Apelles called " Ve- nus Anadyomene" is said to have been taken from Phryne. PHTHIOTIS (Gr. Qdiung), the southernmost district of ancient Thessaly. It extended from Dolopia and the S. E. portion of the Pindus range on the west to the Pagasaaan gulf on the east, and from the Narthacian mountains, near 661 VOL. xiii. 31 PHYLLOXERA 477 Pharsalus, on the north, to the Maliac gulf on the south. The Othrys range passed through its central part. It derived its name from the Phthia of the Homeric poems, a country of much larger extent apparently than the sub- sequent district, for it is represented as in- cluding Hellas and Dolopia as well as the re- gion about Pharsalus. Phthiotis was inhabit- ed by Achseans. The chief towns of the dis- trict were Thebes (Thebse Pthiotides), Halus, Pteleum, Antron, Larissa, Lamia, Xynise (near Xynias lake), Thaumaci, and Itonus. The modern Greek nomarchy of Phthiotis and Phocis, having Phthiotis for its northernmost eparchy, includes only the southern portion of the ancient district, its northern boundary ex- tending along the Othrys range. The area of the nomarchy is 2,053 sq. m.; pop. in 1870, 108,421. Capital, Lamia or Zeitun. PHTHISIS. See CONSUMPTION. PHTHIRIASIS. See EPIZOA, vol. vi., p. 696. PHYLACTERY (Gr. tyvhanTfipLov, from v%da- aetv, to guard), a name given to any amulet or charm worn by the ancients to guard them against danger and disease, or, as among the Hebrews, against transgression. Among the latter it was a strip of parchment, upon which were written passages from the Scriptures, and which, folded up and placed in a small leather box, was worn by the devout princi- pally on the forehead. Among orthodox mod- ern Jews, they are attached to the head and to the left arm, but worn only during morning prayers, and only on work days. They are known as tepTiillin (from tephillali, prayer), and as such distinguished from similar marks of warning attached to the door posts, and from the latter called mezuzoih. Very fine vellum is employed, and. the writing traced with great care, while the case in which they are enclosed is made of several layers of parchment or of black calfskin. Among the early Christians, a phylactery was often used as an amulet, a practice forbidden by the council of Laodicea. PHYLLOXERA (Gr. ^Mov, a leaf, and & P 6<;, parched), a word coined in 1834 by a French entomologist, Fonscolombe, to designate a ge- nus of plant lice, founded on the phyllox- era quercus, a species living on the under side of oak leaves in Europe, and causing them to wear a withered appearance. The genus is more particularly distinguished structurally by having three-jointed antennas, the terminal joint longest, by the simple venation of the wings, and by the wings when at rest being folded flat upon the back. It is also peculiar from occupying an osculant position between two great families, the plant lice (apJiidce) and the bark lice (coccidce), agreeing in some re- spects with the insects of the latter, but in most of its affinities being decidedly aphidian. The genus, though discovered in Europe, has its greatest representation in America; for while there are but two or three discovered species indigenous to that continent, all oc- curring on oak, there are 16 described species