* On the heels of Bilitis, Pierre Louys published his first novel, Aphrodite (Murs Antiques) in 1896. It was a bestseller, selling 350,000 copies, sealing Louys' reputation as a popular author of erotic literature.
Set in Ptolemaic Alexandria, at a much later date than Bilitis, Aphrodite is as much a love story as a crime story. Louys' decadent, sensual vision of Egypt in classical times is a jeweled setting for a story of transgressive love. The sculptor Demetrios, the favorite of Queen Berenice, falls for a well-to-do courtesan, Chrysis. Much of the story is set in the world of the courtesans, a realm of beauty, luxury, sapphic indulgence, and some dark shadows as well.
Production Notes: There were at least three English translations of this work published prior to 1963; of these, this was the only one which had an expired copyright.
Title Page and Front Matter
Author's Preface
Book One
Chapter One. Chrysis
Chapter Two. On the Jetty
Chapter Three. Demetrios
Chapter Four. The Passer-by
Chapter Five. The Mirror, the Comb and the Necklace