Phryne

Lore & Background

Phryne was born Mnesarete, daughter of Epicles, probably in the 370s BC. She was called Phryne because of her pale complexion, like a toad (phryne in Greek). Comic playwrights portray her picking capers, indicating she grew up poor, yet she became one of the wealthiest women in the Greek world. She also dedicated a statue of herself at Delphi and a statue of Eros at Thespiae. Plutarch says her fame allowed her to charge high fees into old age.

Reader's Guide

Phryne's significance lies primarily in her trial for asebeia (impiety), defended by Hypereides, and her role as a model for major classical artworks. The historicity of the legend that she was acquitted after baring her breasts to the jury is doubtful. She was largely ignored during the Renaissance, but artistic interest grew from the late eighteenth century. Since the nineteenth century she has appeared in visual arts, literature, theatre, and film. Scholarship is hindered by fragmentary sources, mostly from the Roman Empire, with Athenaeus' Deipnosophistae being the most important. Ancient sources were written entirely by men and reflect male viewpoints and biases.

Did You Know?

• Phryne's real name was Mnesarete; she was nicknamed Phryne because of her pale complexion, like a toad.
• She was charged with asebeia (blasphemy) for holding a shameless ritual procession, introducing a new god, and organizing unlawful thiasoi.
• According to legend, she was acquitted after baring her breasts to the jury, though the historicity of this episode is doubtful.
• She modeled for Praxiteles' Aphrodite of Knidos, one of the most famous sculptures of antiquity.