PHĂLĔRAE (φάλαρον), a boss, disc, or crescent of metal, in many cases
of gold, and beautifully wrought so as to be highly prized. They were
usually worn in pairs; and we most commonly read of them as ornaments
attached to the harness of horses, especially about the head, and
often worn as pendants (_pensilia_), so as to produce a terrific
effect when shaken by the rapid motions of the horse. These ornaments
were often bestowed upon horsemen by the Roman generals, in the
same manner as the ARMILLA, the TORQUES, the hasta pura [HASTA], and
the crown of gold [CORONA], in order to make a public and permanent
acknowledgment of bravery and merit.
PHĂRETRA (φαρέτρα), a quiver, was principally made of hide or
leather, and was adorned with gold, painting, and braiding. It had
a lid (πῶμα), and was suspended from the right shoulder by a belt
passing over the breast and behind the back. Its most common position
was on the left hip, and is so seen in the annexed figures, the
right-hand one representing an Amazon, and the left-hand an Asiatic
archer.
[Illustration: Pharetrae, Quivers. (Left-hand figure from the
Aeginetan Marbles; right-hand figure from a Greek Vase.)]
PHARMĂCŌN GRĂPHĒ (φαρμάκων or φαρμακείας γραφή), an indictment at
Athens against one who caused the death of another by poison, whether
given with intent to kill or to obtain undue influence. It was tried
by the court of Areiopagus.
PHĂROS or PHĂRUS (φάρος), a light-house. The most celebrated
light-house of antiquity was that situated at the entrance to the
port of Alexandria, on an island which bore the name of Pharos. It
contained many stories, and the upper stories had windows looking
seawards, and torches or fires were kept burning in them by night in
order to guide vessels into the harbour. The name of Pharos was given
to other light-houses, in allusion to that at Alexandria, which was
the model for their construction.
PHĂSĒLUS (φάσηλος), a vessel rather long and narrow, apparently
so called from its resemblance to the shape of a phaselus or
kidney-bean. It was chiefly used by the Egyptians, and was of various
sizes, from a mere boat to a vessel adapted for long voyages. The
phaselus was built for speed, to which more attention seems to have
been paid than to its strength: whence the epithet _fragilis_ is
given to it by Horace. These vessels were sometimes made of clay, to
which the epithet of Horace may perhaps also refer.
PHASIS (φάσις, from φαίνω), one of the various methods by which
public offenders at Athens might be prosecuted; but the word is
often used to denote any kind of information; and we do not know in
what respects the _Phasis_ was distinguished from other methods of
prosecution. The word _sycophantes_ (συκοφάντης) is derived from
the practice of laying information against those who exported figs.
[SYCOPHANTES.]