Thaïs (pron. "Tha-is") was a famous Greek hetaera who lived during the time of Alexander the Great and accompanied him on his campaigns.
According to Cleitarchus's report, she made Alexander burn down Persepolis on a whim. Other sources indicate the burning of Persepolis had been a well-premeditated act of revenge against the Persians.
Thaïs later became the wife of Ptolemy, king of Egypt.
In the Divine Comedy, Thaïs is one of just a few females whom Dante sees on his journey through Hell. She is located in the circle of the flatterers, plunged in a trench of excrement, having been consigned there, we are told by Virgil, for having uttered to her lover that she was "marvellously" grateful to him.
Anatole France wove a historical novel, Thais (1901) about the figure of Thais, in which the ascetic Paphnutius, a hermit from the Egyptian desert tries to convert the libertine beauty of Alexandria, but finds himself enmeshed in his own pride in reforming the famous beauty.
Thaïs is also an opera by Jules Massenet that was inspired by the historical figure.
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Last updated: 08-14-2005 10:57:35
