Writer and broadcaster Natalie Haynes chooses Phryne as a history hero
In profile
Phryne, born Mnesarete in the city of Thespiae, was an ancient Greek courtesan famed for her beauty who became one of the wealthiest women in Greece. She is perhaps best known for offering to rebuild the walls of Thebes after their destruction by Alexander the Great, and for being the rumoured inspiration for Praxiteles’ celebrated sculpture of Aphrodite.
When did you first hear about Phryne?
While I was a student at the University of Cambridge. The more I learned about her over the years, the more fascinated I became by her story. She was the ‘It girl’ of her day, and obviously a force of nature.
What kind of woman was she?
It’s hard to be entirely sure, because we have very little evidence for her life, but the polite term for her profession is ‘courtesan’ – a woman prepared to have sex with rich men without being married to them. Generations of subsequent courtesans used ‘Phryne’ as a sort of stage name, in tribute to her. But it’s important to remember that, as a woman living in a highly patriarchal society, Phryne had few options open to her: she had to use her beauty and wits to survive. Besides being smart, she was an avid art enthusiast and collector. She was more than capable of holding her own in high society, and was the mistress of reinvention.
What made Phryne a hero?
She was clever, she was funny, she was canny and she was gorgeous – and her beautiful round face and straight nose, which are said to have served as the inspiration for Praxiteles’ famous statue of Aphrodite, helped define the idea of beauty for centuries to come. Lots of witty sayings are attributed to her. For instance, upon meeting her at a dinner party, one male guest is alleged to have remarked: “I heard you were gorgeous!” Quick as a flash, she shot back: “And I heard you were mean!” Phryne also made enough money to be able to offer to rebuild Thebes’ city walls – on the condition that the words “Restored by Phryne the courtesan” were inscribed on them. She wanted public awareness of her generosity and wealth.
What was her finest hour?
Her defence of herself at her trial for ‘impiety’ – most likely brought because she had modelled for the statue of a goddess. She hired a lawyer to defend her, but he did a terrible job – and she could have been put to death if she’d been found guilty. So she made a final appeal to the jury, which took great courage, and they let her off. Later male writers spiced up the tale, claiming that she stripped naked in the courtroom – and that it was the sight of her bare breasts that won over the jury – but the odds are that that never happened.
Can you see any parallels between Phryne’s life and your own?
I think we would have got on well because of our shared sense of humour. But that’s where any parallels end – I’d have made the least effective ‘It girl’ in ancient Greece!
Natalie Haynes is a comedian, author, broadcaster and classicist. Her latest book is Divine Might: Goddesses in Greek Myth (Picador, 2023)
This article was first published in the March 2024 issue of BBC History Magazine