In mythology, the phoenix is a bird said to live for hundreds of years before bursting into flames and being reborn from its own ashes. The phoenix is often associated with themes of death and rebirth, and it has been depicted in various forms of art and literature throughout history. The word can also refer more broadly to any person or thing that is reborn or rises from the ashes of its past. Plural: phoinikes — /ˈpʰoî.ni.kes/ (FOY-nee-kes) [Φοῖνικες].