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NEW SYSTEM;
OR, AN
ANALYSIS
OF
NEW SYSTEM;
1
ANTIENT MYTHOLOGY:
WHEREIN AN ATTEMPT IS MADE TO DIVEST TRADITION OF FABLE;
AND TO REDUCE THE TRUTH TO ITS ORIGINAL PURITY,
BY JACOB BRYANT, ESQ.
THE THIRD EDITION.
IN SIX VOLUMES.
WITH A PORTRAIT AND
SOME ACCOUNT OF THE AUTHOR;
A VINDICATION OF THE APAMEAN MEDAL;
Observations and Inquiries relating to various
Parts of Antient History;
A COMPLETE INDEX,
AND FORTY-ONE PLATES, NEATLY ENGRAVED.
VOL. II.
LONDON:

PRINTED FOR J. WALKER; W.J. AND J. RICHARDSON; R. FAULDER AND SON; R. LEA; J. NUNN;
CUTHELL AND MARTIN; H.D. SYMONDS; VERNOR, HOOD, AND SHARPE; E. JEFFERY;
LACKINGTON, ALLEN, AND CO.; J. BOOKER; BLACK, PARRY, AND KINGSBURY; J. ASPERNE; J.
MURRAY; AND J. HARRIS.

1807.
AANTIENT MYTHOLOGY:
2
NEW SYSTEM
OR AN
ANALYSIS
OF
ANTIENT MYTHOLOGY.
PH\u0152NIX and PH\ue000NICES.

As there has been much uncertainty about the purport and extent of these terms; and they are of great
consequence in the course of history; I will endeavour to state their true meaning. Phoinic, or Poinic, was an
Egyptian and Canaanitish term of honour; from whence were formed \u03a6\u03bf\u03b9\u03bd\ue001\u03be, \ue002\ue003\ue004\ue005\ue006\u03ba\u03b5\u03c2, \ue007\ue008\ue009\ue00a\ue00b\ue00c\ue00d\ue00e\ue00f\ue010of the Greeks, and Phoinic, Poinicus,
Poinicius of the Romans; which were afterwards changed to Ph\u0153nix, Punicus, and[1]Puniceus. It was
originally a title, which the Greeks made use of as a provincial name: but it was never admitted as such by the
people, to whom it was thus appropriated, till the Greeks were in possession of the country. And even then it
was but partially received: for though mention is made of the coast of Ph\ue011nice, yet we find the natives called
Sidonians, Tyrians, and[2]Canaanites, as late as the days of the Apostles. It was an honorary term,
compounded of Anac with the Egyptian prefix; and rendered at times both Phoinic and Poinic. It signified a
lord or prince: and was particularly assumed by the sons of Chus and Canaan. The Mysians seem to have kept
nearest to the original pronunciation, who gave this title to the God Dionusus, and called him Ph'anac.

[3]Ogygia me Bacchum vocat,
Osirin \u00c6gyptus putat,
Mysi Phanacem.

It was also conferred upon many things, which were esteemed princely and noble. Hence the red, or scarlet, a
colour appropriated to great and honourable personages, was styled Phoinic. The palm was also styled
Phoinic, \ue012\ue013\ue014\ue015ιξ: and the antients always speak of it as a stately and noble tree. It was esteemed an
emblem of honour; and made use of as a reward of victory. Plurimarum palmarum homo, was a proverbial
expression among the Romans, for a soldier of merit. Pliny speaks of the various species of palms; and of the
great repute in which they were held by the Babylonians. He says, that the noblest of them were styled the
royal Palms; and supposes that they were so called from their being set apart for the king's use. But they were
very early an emblem of royalty: and it is a circumstance included in their original name. We find from
Apuleius, that Mercury, the[4]Hermes of Egypt, was represented with a palm branch in his hand: and his
priests at Hermopolis used to have them stuck in their[5]sandals, on the outside. The Goddess[6]Isis was thus
represented: and we may infer that Hermes had the like ornaments; which the Greeks mistook for feathers,
and have in consequence of it added wings to his feet. The Jews used to carry boughs of the same tree at some
of their festivals; and particularly at the celebration of their nuptials: and it was thought to have an influence at
the birth. Euripides alludes to this in his Ion; where he makes Latona recline herself against a Palm tree, when
she is going to produce Apollo and Diana.

NEW SYSTEM
3
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