The Facts on File Dictionary of Allusions - Green Valley High School

philistine (fi lbstin) An uncultured, ignorant person.
<strong>The</strong> original Philistines were a warlike non-
Semitic people who in biblical times inhabited
ancient Philistia in close and often hostile proximity
to the Hebrews. Individual Philistines to attract
special criticism included the giant goliath
(1 Samuel 17) and the seductive delilah (Judges
16). <strong>The</strong> term was subsequently taken up as a reference
to any enemy and ultimately to individuals
or societies perceived as lacking any cultural
sophistication or intellectual enthusiasm. It was
fi rst used in its modern sense by university students
in 17th- century Germany, who applied it to
townsfolk who lacked a similar education, calling
them “Philisters.” It was transmitted to En glish
through the writings of Matthew Arnold (1822–
88), who applied it specifi cally to bourgeois
opponents of art and literature. Archaeological
fi nds suggest, however, that ancient Philistine society
was not as brutish and materialistic as Hebrew
writings suggest, and Philistine pottery in par ticu
lar has been much admired. <strong>The</strong>y were also
skilled architects and metalworkers and apparently
had well- developed po liti cal and commercial
structures. “But clearly Anthony was no diplomatist.
His brother- in- law must have appeared to
him, to use the language of shore people, a perfect
philistine with a heart like a fl int” (Joseph Conrad,
Chance, 1913).
phi los o pher’s stone A stone or other object that
has the power to turn base metals into gold. <strong>The</strong>
quest for the phi los o pher’s stone occupied generations
of alchemists over the centuries.
Although no such magical stone was ever found,
discoveries made in the search for it provided the
basis for modern chemistry. <strong>The</strong> term has since
been applied to anything, real or intangible, that
constitutes the key to happiness or other bene-
fi t s. Confi dence is the phi los o pher’s stone for the successful
athlete.
Phintias See damon and pythias.
phobia (fobeeb) An obsessive, often irrational
fear of something. <strong>The</strong> word is Greek in origin and
alludes to Phobos, a son of Ares and Aphrodite and
the Greek god of dread and alarm. Somewhat
ironically he was conventionally depicted with the
head of a lion. His sister developed a phobia of snakes
and ever after refused to go anywhere near the reptile
house at the zoo.
Phoebe (feebee) Personifi cation of the Moon.
Phoebe was identifi ed in Greek mythology as the
goddess of the moon and as one of the Titans, by
whom Zeus sired Apollo and Artemis. She uttered a
brief prayer to Phoebe before slipping down into the
moonlit street.
Phoebus (feebbs) Literary name for the Sun. In
Greek mythology the sun god Apollo was sometimes
referred to by the name Phoebus (meaning
“bright” or “shining one”). “He must have passed
Mr. Rugg on his way out, for, a minute or two
afterwards, that ruddy- headed gentleman shone
in at the door, like an el der ly Phoebus” (Charles
Dickens, Little Dorrit, 1855–57).
phoenix (feeniks) Something that rises anew in
the face of defeat or adversity. This legendary bird
appears in the mythology of ancient Egypt, ancient
Greece, and early Christianity and was widely
considered a symbol of immortality and life after
death. According to most traditions the phoenix
resembled an ea gle, with gold and scarlet feathers,
and lived for about 500 years. When the time came
for it to die, it lay down on a pyre and allowed itself
phoenix
371