Herennius Philo

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, io; iv. 16). They present a euhemeristic rechaufe 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. grace. vol. iii. In 1836 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).