In Greek mythology, Phoenix (Ancient Greek: Φοῖνιξ) was a son of Agenor and Telephassa (or Argiope), brother of Cadmus, Cilix and Europa.
When Europa was carried off by Zeus, her three brothers were sent out by Agenor to find her, but the search was unsuccessful. Phoenix eventually settled in a country in Africa which he named Phoenicia after himself.
Phoenix was believed to have fathered a number of children with different women. By Cassiopeia, he had a daughter Carme and three sons, Cilix, Phineus, and Doryclus, as well as a stepson Atymnius whose natural father was Zeus; by Alphesiboea, he had Adonis. According to the Iliad, Europa was not his sister, but his daughter. Europa is otherwise called one of his two daughters by Perimede, daughter of Oeneus, the other one being Astypalaea; she is also included on the list of his children by Telephe, her siblings in this case being Peirus, Phoenice, and Astypale (apparently identical to the aforementioned Astypalaea). Telephe, daughter of Epimedusa, is probably the same as Telephassa, whom Moschus calls wife and not mother of Phoenix. Finally, Cadmus was believed by some to be a son of Phoenix and not his brother.
Famous quotes containing the word phoenix:
“A phoenix it is
This hearse that must bless
With aromatic gums
That cost great sums,
The way of thurification
To make a fumigation,
Sweet of reflare,
And redolent of air,”
—John Skelton (1460?–1529)