Aphrodite

Aphrodite: Ancient Manners is a novel written by Pierre Louys, first published in 1896. The book is a collection of short stories that revolve around the theme of love and sexuality in Ancient Greece. The stories are narrated by a courtesan named Chrysis, who describes her experiences with various men and women in the city of Alexandria. The book is divided into four parts, each focusing on a different aspect of love and sexuality. The first part deals with the love between a man and a woman, while the second part explores the love between a man and a boy. The third part delves into the love between women, while the fourth and final part deals with the love between a man and a courtesan. Throughout the book, Louys portrays a vivid and sensual picture of Ancient Greece, with its customs, traditions, and social norms. He also explores the themes of jealousy, betrayal, and the power dynamics between men and women. Aphrodite: Ancient Manners is considered a classic of French literature and has been translated into several languages. It is known for its frank and explicit depiction of sexuality, which was considered scandalous at the time of its publication. However, it is also praised for its beautiful prose and its vivid portrayal of Ancient Greece.1928. From the Foreword: ...Thus, when Pierre Louys began his great study into ancient customs, to get his narrative of Aphrodite, he spent nearly three years along the Banks of the Nile and among the cities of Asia Minor, delving into such records as had escaped the fury of the vandals and the flames spread by the fanatics. Strange to say, however, the author has brought down in his narrative a vivid, convincing view into the past, with its licentiousness, which must be a shock to our modern moral standards. At times the picture may seem too vivid-but-always, should the reader remember, that for a longer time than the Julian Calendar records, was sex worship the order of the day-and excesses and indulgence the order of the night. Temples to Venus, Aphrodite and Astarte were built as national institutions and frequented by the most respectable and respected. Girls were sent here as a religious rite and preparation for marriage. The Courtesan was a respected element of society-licentious rites were even celebrated as a national institution.This scarce antiquarian book is a facsimile reprint of the old original and may contain some imperfections such as library marks and notations. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment for protecting, preserving, and promoting the world's literature in affordable, high quality, modern editions, that are true to their original work.