The phoenix in Christian sources
The Church Fathers[1] relied on earlier religious thought in order to debate with polytheist philosophers and to persuade the people around them to convert to Christianity. Clement of Rome[2], the fourth bishop of Rome after Saint Peter did refer ehimself to the legend of the phoenix. In the Letters to the Corinthians attributed to him, the author calls on the faithful believers to prepare their eschatological future in the image of the « resurrected Christ »
, he goes on to say that « resurrections »
belong to a universal cycle entailing the assurance of resurrection as evidenced in the ongoing succession of day and night; the dry and naked seed that falls to the ground and yields new life. Whereupon he develops the set of manifestations associated to the phoenix. Chapter XXV refers to a prodigy taking place in Eastern countries where a bird called the phoenix appears, alone of its kind and living for five hundred years: « And when the time of its dissolution draws near that it must die, it builds itself a nest of frankincense, and myrrh, and other spices, into which, when the time is fulfilled, it enters and dies. But as the flesh decays a certain kind of worm is produced, which, being nourished by the juices of the dead bird, brings forth feathers. Then, when it has acquired strength, it takes up that nest in which are the bones of its parent, and bearing these it passes from the land of Arabia into Egypt, to the city called Heliopolis. And, in open day, flying in the sight of all men, it places them on the altar of the sun, and having done this, hastens back to its former abode. The priests then inspect the registers of the dates, and find that it has returned exactly as the five hundredth year was completed. »
In structure, the phoenix story is close to the classical authors' account but the figure is used here to make the connection with the « person »
of Christ, thought unique of its kind, surpassing all humanity, possessed with gifts and qualities no human being could boast on earth. By means of this analogy the author develops the theme of « Resurrection »
. Jesus is living, eternal, just as the phoenix is. Clement exploits, along with all the Church Fathers, known symbols that would make the Christ figure more familiar to non-Christians: « man and God »
; « dead and risen from the dead »
. It is interesting to note that, thereafter, writers who did not align with Christianity ceased, when speaking of the phoenix, to refer to its death and resurrection cycle.
