PHILARET PHILEMON 405 Nectanebo II., of the 30th dynasty. Philse is celebrated for the grandeur of the surround- ing scenery, especially when seen from the top of the propylseon tower, begun by Ptolemy Temple of Isis. Philadelphus, completed by his successors, and adorned with sculptures by the early Koman emperors. In front of the temple is the chapel of yEsculapius, and to the east and south are small temples of Athor. PHILARET (BASIL DEOZDOFF), a Eussian pre- late, born near Moscow in 1782, died there, Dec. 1, 1867. He was a professor in the acad- emy of St. Petersburg, and in 1812 became its rector, in 1817 bishop of Revel, in 1819 arch- bishop of Tver, and in 1821 metropolitan of Moscow. His eloquence was greatly admired by Alexander I. Under Nicholas he kindled the popular enthusiasm during the Crimean war, but the emperor was displeased with his inde- pendence, and deprived him of his vote in the synod. He fully recovered his influence under Alexander II., upon whom he urged the eman- cipation of the serfs. He was the first to promote Biblical researches among the Greek orthodox clergy. A second edition of his ser- mons was published at St. Petersburg in 1848- '60, in 3 vols. Of three other distinguished prelates of the same name, one was archbishop of Rostov and subsequently patriarch of Mos- cow, and the father of the czar Michael Ro- manoff (1613-'45), the founder of the reigning Russian dynasty; the second (1778-1858) was metropolitan of Kiev, and author of a collec- tion of Russian hymns (1860) and of " Lives of Russian Saints " (1861) ; and the third (1805- '66) archbishop of Kharkov, and a historian of the Russian church (5 vols., Moscow, 1857- '9) and of the ecclesiastical literature of Rus- sia from 862 to 1858 (2 vols., St. Petersburg, 1860-'61). PHILEMON, an Athenian comic poet, born probably at Soli in Cilicia or in Syracuse about 360 B. C., died in 262. He became a resident of Athens at an early age, and was the first writer of the new comedy in order of time, and inferior in celebrity only to Menander, from whom he bore away the palm of victory in several dramatic contests. He began to exhibit plays about 330 B. 0., and produced 97, of which the titles of about 50 remain. It appears that he once went into vol- untary exile on ac- count of defeat in a dramatic competi- tion; and also that he made a journey to the East, visiting Alexandria by invi- tation of Ptolemy, and meeting with some comical ad- ventures, especially one with Magas of Gyrene, whom he had satirized in a comedy, and who took a contemptuous revenge by presenting him with a set of child's playthings when he visited his court. The fragments of his extant works are printed in the principal editions of Menander. Philemon's subjects are chiefly love intrigues, and his plays are remarkable for their wit and elegance. PHILEMON Epistle to, a canonical epistle of the New Testament, written, according to its own inscription and the constant tradition of the ancient church, by the apostle Paul. Eu- sebius and Jerome attest its universal recep- tion as a Pauline epistle in the Christian world. In modern times the authenticity of the epis- tle has been questioned by Baur (Paulus der Apostel Jesu Christi, 1845), but it is defended even by a majority of the theologians of the Tubingen school. The Epistle to Philemon is one of the shortest portions of the Bible, con- taining only one chapter. It was written about A. D. 63, during Paul's confinement at Rome, or according to some at Csesarea. Philemon, according to ancient tradition, was a rich and influential citizen of Colossse, and had been con- verted to Christianity under the preaching of Paul. The apostle writes to him about Onesi- mus, a slave of Philemon, who had run away from his master, had been converted by Paul at Rome, and was sent back by him to his master, who is entreated to receive him " not now as a servant, but as a brother beloved." Many writers have remarked the high courtesy and dignity with which the apostle asks for Onesi- mus the kind treatment which he might have commanded. Of the life of Philemon nothing else is known. According to a tradition he was bishop of Coloss, where, it is said, his
