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The fable of the flight of Phryxus to Colchis on a ram has 
been explained by fome, who obferve, that the fhipon which 
he embarked was either called by that name, or carried on 
her prow a figure of that animal. The fleece of gold is 
accounted for, by obferving that Phryxus carried away im- 
menfe treafures from Thebes. See Argonauts, vol. ii- 
PHTHA'LEON, in ancient geography, a town of 
Greece, upon the Pegafean gulf. 
PHTHAS, a name given among the Egyptians to the 
Greek Vulcan, whom they confidered as the Supreme 
Divinity, or at leaft as an attribute of that aftive principle, 
or intelligent power, eternally united, in their opinion, 
with the chaotic mafs, by whofe energy the elements 
were feparated, and bodies were formed, and who conti¬ 
nually prefides over the univerfe, and is the efficient caufe 
of all effects. For this we have not only the authority of 
Plutarch (Ifis et Ofiris), who may be fufpe£led of having 
exhibited the Egyptian philofophy in a Grecian drefs, 
but the united teftirnony of many writers, who give fuch 
accounts of the Egyptian gods, Phthas or Vulcan, and 
Cneph or Agathodaemus, as render it probable that thefe 
were only different names expreffing different attributes 
of the Supreme Divinity. The Egyptians, fays Eufebius, 
call the maker of the univerfe by the name of Cneph, and 
relate, that he fent forth an egg from his mouth ; which 
in their fymbolical language denotes that he produced 
the univerfe. Diodorus Siculus fpeaks of the Egyptian 
Vulcan as the firff king among the gods: and Manetho 
afcribes to him unlimited duration, and perpetual fplen- 
dour. The name itfelf, Phthas, fignifies, according to 
Jablonfki, in the Coptic language, “ one by whom events 
are ordained,” or “the difpofer of things.” When the 
Egyptians mean to reprefent the ruler of the world as 
good, they called him by the appellation Cneph, denoting 
a good genius; and they reprefented him under the 
fymbol of a ferpent. Upon a temple dedicated to 
Neithas at Sais, the chief town in Lower Egypt, was this 
infcription ; “ I am whatever is, or has been, or will be ; 
and no mortal has hitherto drawn afide my veil; my 
offspring is the fun.” Plutarch and Proclus mention 
this infcription, though w'ithfome difference of language; 
and it is fo confonant to the mythological fpirit of the 
Egyptians, that, notwithftanding the filence of more 
ancient writers who treat of this theology, its authenticity 
may be eafiiy admitted. If this be allowed, and if, at the 
fame time, it be granted, as the learned Jablonfki main¬ 
tains, (Pantheon Egypt.) that Neithas and Phthas were 
only different names for the fame divinity, this infcrip¬ 
tion will be a ftrong confirmation of the opinion, that the 
Egyptians acknowledged theexiftence of an adtive intel¬ 
ligence, the caufe of all things, whofe nature is incompre- 
lienfible. On the obelifk of granite, tranfported from 
Egpyt to Rome, amongft the hieroglyphics of which 
Hermaphion has given the interpretation, is the follow¬ 
ing remarkable paffage, on the fubjedt of Rameftas, king 
of Heliopolis: “This is he, whom Phtha, the father of 
the gods, has eledfed.” Thefe words “ the father of the 
gods,” point out the ftars, which the Egyptian fages 
regarded as the molt ftriking emblems of the divinity, 
and which the people really adored. 
Upon the whole we may conclude, that Phtha was re¬ 
garded, in remote antiquity, as the ordaining fpirit, and 
the great architedf of the univerfe. The inhabitants of 
Memphis raifed a temple to him where he was principally 
worfhipped. Herodotus and Diodorus Siculus have de- 
fcribed this temple; and Suidas adds, the inhabitants of 
Memphis adore Vulcan under the name of Phtha. From 
Phtha we ought not to feparate the god whom the Egyp¬ 
tians adopted under the name of Neith, fince he alto is 
the creating fpirit. Neith, in fa£t, fignifies, according 
to Jablonfki, “ him who difpofeth all things.” By the firff 
of thefe attributes, God was underftood to be taken in a 
general fenfe, and by the fecond, his wifdom was parti-' 
cularly charadferifed. He had a temple at Sais; and 
Plato, who frequented it fays, “Neith, to whom the 
P H U 
Greeks have given the name of Minerva, is its tributary 
deity.” Neith and Phtha are therefore the fame divinity. 
The Phoenicians, who received their religion and their 
knowledge from their brethren the Egyptians, likewife 
acknowledged Minerva, or Neith, for the artift of nature. 
Cadmus, the Phoenician, who carried this worfliip into 
Greece, gave the name of Neith to one of the feven gates 
of Thebes, in Bceotia ; and there the Egyptian theology 
was taught. The Egyptians, adoring the power of the 
Creator under the name of Phtha, and his wifdom under 
that of Neith, honoured his beneficence, by calling him 
Cneph, or Good, by way of excellence. In fine we may 
conclude, notwithftanding what has been advanced to 
the contrary by Porphyry and others, that it appears 
highly probable, that the ancient Egyptians acknow¬ 
ledged an aitive as well as a paflive principle in nature, 
and as Plutarch afferts, worlhipped ru nt^aiu ©e«, the Su¬ 
preme Deity. See Brucker’s Phil, by Enfield, vol. i. and 
Savary’s Travels in Egypt, vol. i. 
PHTHEMBU'TI, in ancient geography, a nome of 
Egypt, the capital of which was called Tava by Ptolemy. 
PHTHENO'TES, a nome of Egypt, the capital of 
which was Butos, Ptolemy, 
PHTHI'A, a town of Phthiotis, at the eaft of Mount 
Othrys in Theffaly, where Achilles was born, and from 
which he is often called Phthius Heros. 
PHTHIO'FIS, a fmall province of Theffaly, between 
the Pelafgicus Sinus and the Maliacus Sinus, Magnefia, 
and Mount Gita. It was alfo called Achaia. 
PHTHIRI'ASIS, j. [Gr. from ipOmp, a loufe.J The 
loufy evil, morbus pedicularis . See the article Pediculus, 
vol. xix. p. 458, 9. 
PHTHIROPH'AGI, in ancient geography, the name 
of a people who inhabited the coafts of the Euxine Sea. 
Mela. 
PHTIIIS'IC, or Phthisis, f . [Gr. from ipOiw, to cor¬ 
rupt.] A confumption.— Phthijis, fignifying corruption 
or emaciation in general, is commonly limited to that 
fpecies of emaciation which arifes from a difeafe of the 
lungs; whence the epithet pulmonalis is ufually con¬ 
joined with it, denoting pulmonary confumption. Cham¬ 
bers.- —His difeafe was a phlhijick or afthma oft incurring 
to an orthopnea. Harvey on Confumplions. —If the lungs 
be wounded deep, though they efcape the firff nine days, 
yet they terminate in a phthijis, or fiftula. Wifeman .— 
Liberty of (peaking, than which nothing is morefweet to 
man, was girded and ftrait-laced almoft to a broken-winded 
phthific. Milton's Anim. Rem. Defence. 
PHTHIS'ICAL, adj. Wafting.—Colle&ion of purulent 
matter in the capacity of the breaft, if not fuddenly cured, 
doth undoubtedly impel the patient into a phthifical con¬ 
fumption. Harvey on Confumptions. 
PHTHO'RA, j. [from the Gr. ipBcipej, to corrupt.] 
Corruption, deftruffion. 
PHTHUTH, in ancient geography, a river of Africa, 
in Mauritania Tingitana. Ptolemy. 
PHUCAGROS'TIS, f . in botany. SeeZosTERA. 
PHUL. See Pul. 
PHUMA'NA, in ancient geography, a town of Afia, 
in Babylonia, in the vicinity of Arabia Deferta, accor¬ 
ding to Ptolemy, who marks it between Chuduca and 
Coefa. 
PHUPHAGE'NA, a town of Afia, in Armenia the Lefs, 
in the interior of the country towards the mountains 
between Arana and Mardara, according to Ptolemy. 
PHUPHE'NA, a town of Afia, in the interior and near 
the mountains of Armenia the Lefs, between Ifpa and 
Arana, according to Ptolemy. 
PHU'RAH, [Heb. fruitful.] A man’s name. 
PHUSIA'NA, a town of Afia, in the interior of 
Affyria, between Gomara and Ifone, according to Pto¬ 
lemy. 
PHUSIPA'RA, a town of Afia, in Leffer Armenia, 
between Cienica and Eufimara. Ptolemy. 
PHUT, or Put, the third fon of Ham. Calmet will 
have 
