Phryne

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. An influential courtesan of ancient Athens, renowned for her beauty and wealth during the 4th century BCE
2. The celebrated ancient Greek hetaera known for her exceptional elegance and her relationship with the sculptor Praxiteles
3. A prominent figure in classical Athens, famous as a courtesan whose legendary appearance became the subject of artistic admiration and legal legend

Etymology: The Greek "phrúnē" meant "toad," and it was a nickname often given to prostitutes. The name came to be attached to one of the most famous of them, an Athenian courtesan whose beauty was so celebrated that the sculptor Praxiteles was said to have used her as the model for his statues of Aphrodite. Ancient writers tell of her trial on a charge of impiety. Her defender, the orator Hyperides, reportedly won her acquittal by baring her body before the jury, so that its beauty would speak for her. Her name stayed in use as a byword for a beautiful, notorious woman.