Phyllis
- Daughter of King Sithon of Thrace; she was changed into an almond-tree, Ov. H. 2, 98; Hyg. Fab. 59, 243; Plin. 16, 26, 45, § 108; Serv. Verg. E. 5, 10; Pers. 1, 34.—
- B Transf., an almond-tree, Pall. Insit. 149. —
- II A female proper name, Verg. E. 3, 78; Hor. C. 4, 11, 3; cf. Suet. Dom. 17.
PHYLLIS(Φυλλίς), a district of Thrace in the neighbourhood of Mt. Pangaeus, bounded by the Angites on the W. and by the Strymon on the S. (Hdt. 7.113; Steph. B. s. v.)
(Φύλλις). (1) The daughter of Sithon, king of Thrace, and betrothed to Demophoön, son of Theseus, who, on his return from Troy, had stopped on the Thracian coast, and there became enamoured of the princess. A day having been fixed for their union, Demophoön set sail for Athens, in order to arrange affairs at home, promising to return at an appointed time. He did not come, however, at the end of the period which he had fixed, and Phyllis, fancying herself deserted, put an end to her existence. The trees that sprang up around her tomb were said at a certain season to mourn her untimely fate by their leaves withering and falling to the ground. (Hyg. Fab. 59.) According to another account, Phyllis was changed after death into an almond-tree, destitute of leaves; and Demophoön having returned a few days subsequently, and having clasped the tree in his embrace, it put forth leaves (φύλλα) as if conscious of the presence of a once-beloved object. Ovid has made the absence of Demophoön from Thrace the subject of one of his Heroides. It is said that Phyllis, when watching for the return of Demophoön, made nine journeys to the Thracian coast, whence the spot was called Ennea-Hodoi (Ἐννέα Ὁδοί) or “the Nine Ways.” The true reason of the name, however, was the meeting here of as many roads from different parts of Thrace and Macedon.
(2) A region of Thrace, forming part of Edonis, and situate to the north of Mount Pangaeus.
- on the Strymon: Hdt. 7.113
- loves Demophon: Apollod. E.6.15
- deserted by him she curses him and kills herself: Apollod. E.6.16