Origins & Early Life

Phryne (Ancient Greek: Φρύνη, before 370 – after 316 BC) was an ancient Greek hetaira (courtesan). Born Mnesarete, she was from Thespiae in Boeotia, but seems to have lived most of her life in Athens. She apparently grew up poor, but became one of the richest women in Greece. Little is known for certain about Phryne's life.

Pivotal Works & Achievements

She is best known for her trial for impiety, in which she was defended by the orator Hypereides. According to legend, she was acquitted after baring her breasts to the jury, though the historicity of this episode is doubtful. She also modelled for the artists Apelles and Praxiteles: the latter's Aphrodite of Knidos was said to have been based on her. Phryne was largely ignored during the Renaissance, but artistic interest in her began to grow from the end of the eighteenth century. Her trial was depicted by Jean-Léon Gérôme in the 1861 painting Phryne Before the Areopagus, which influenced many subsequent depictions of her, and according to Laura McClure made her an "international cultural icon".

Enduring Legacy & Impact

As well as being depicted in the visual arts, since the nineteenth century she has also appeared in literature, in theatre, and on film. Scholarship about...

Contemporary Figures & Related Historical Timelines

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• Hui Shi — Contemporary (Died in -310) (-310): A prominent philosopher of the School of Names, known for paradoxes on time and space.
• Alfred North Whitehead — Historical peer (Born in 1861) (1861): Pioneering philosopher and mathematician who established Process Philosophy.
• Arthur Hugh Clough — Historical peer (Died in 1861) (1861): English poet and educationalist, known for 'The Bothie of Toper-na-fuosich'
• Mencius — Contemporary figure (Born in -372) (-372): A pivotal Confucian philosopher who championed the inherent goodness of human nature.
• Amyntas III of Macedon — Contemporary figure (Died in -370) (-370): King of Macedon from 393/2 to 370 BC, father of Philip II.
• Apelles — Contemporary figure (Born in -370) (-370): A celebrated 4th-century BC Greek painter, renowned for his portraiture.
• Yang Zhu — Contemporary figure (Born in -369) (-369): Founder of Yangist philosophy, an early ethical egoist during China's Warring States period.
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