PHRYNE, a celebrated Greek courtesan, flourished in the time of Alexander the Great (4th century b.c. ). She was born at Thespiae in Baeotia, but seems to have lived at Athens. Originally so poor as to earn a living by gathering capers, she acquired so much wealth by her extraordinary beauty that she offered to rebuild the walls of Thebes, which had been destroyed by Alexander (335), on condition of inscribing on them, “Destroyed by Alexander, restored by Phryne the courtesan.” On the occasion of a festival of Poseidon at Eleusis she laid aside her garments, let down her hair, and stepped into the sea in the sight of the people, thus suggesting to the painter Apelles his great picture of Aphrodite rising from the Sea, for which Phryne sat as model. The sculptor Praxiteles was one of her lovers, and she is said to have been the model of his celebrated Cnidian Aphrodite, which Pliny declared to be the most beautiful statue in the world. There were statues of her by Praxiteles at Delphi and in her native town; the former was golden or plated with gold, the latter λvas of marble. It is said t∙lι>xt at her request Praxiteles promised her the most beautiful of his works, but would not tell her which was it. Having discovered by a stratagem that of his works he prized most a statue of Love (Eros) and one of a Satyr, she asked of him the former and dedicated it in Thespiae. Being accused of impiety by Euthias, she was defended by the orator Hyperides, one of her lovers. When it seemed that the verdict was about to be against her, he rent her robe and displayed her lovely bosom, which so moved her judges that they acquitted her. According to others it was Phryne herself who thus displayed her charms. She is said to have made an attempt on the virtue of the philosopher ...