HERENNIUS

PHILO  , of Byblus, Greek grammarian, was born, according to Suidas, in A.D . 42 . He lived into the reign of Hadrian, of which he wrote a history, now lost . He was the author of various works: On the Acquisition and Choice of Books; On Cities and their Famous Men, epitomized by the grammarian Aelius Serenus, and one of the chief authorities used by Hesychius and Stephanus of Byzantium; On Synonyms, of which there is extant an epitome by Ammonius Grammaticus . But he is chiefly known for his translation of the Phoenician history of Sanchuniathon, who was said to have lived before the Trojan war . Of this work considerable fragments have been preserved, chiefly by Eusebius in the Praeparatio evangelica (i . 9, ro; iv . 16) . They present a euhemeristic rechauffe of Phoenician theology and mythology, which is represented as translated from the original Phoenician . Sanchuniathon is probably an imaginary personage, whose name is formed from that of the Phoenician god Sanchon . Editions of the fragments by J . C .

Orelli (1826) and C . Muller, Frag. hist. graec. vol. iii . In 186 F . Wagenfeld brought out what claimed to be a complete translation by Philo (from a MS. discovered in a convent in Portugal, now considered spurious) . There are English translations by I . P . Cory (1828) and Bishop R . Cumberland (1720) .