Thais
- a celebrated courtesan of Athens, Prop. 2, 6, 3; 4 (5), 5, 43; Ov. A. A. 3, 604; id. R. Am. 383 sq.—
- II Another at Rome, Mart. 3, 8; 4, 12.—
- III A courtesan in the Eunuchus of Terence, Ter. Eun. 91; 231.
(Θαΐς), a celebrated Athenian Hetaera, who accompanied Alexander the Great on his expedition into Asia, or at least was present on various occasions during that period. Her name is best known from the story of her having stimulated the conqueror during a great festival at Persepolis, to set fire to the palace of the Persian kings: but this anecdote, immortalized as it has been by Dryden's famous ode, appears to rest on the sole authority of Cleitarchus, one of the least trustworthy of the historians of Alexander, and is in all probability a mere fable (Cleitarchus, apud Athen. xiii. p. 576e; Diod. 17.72; Plut. Alex. 38 ; Curt. 5.7. §§ 3_7; Droysen, Gesch. Alex. p. 247, note.)
After the death of Alexander, Thais attached herself to Ptolemy Lagi, by whom she became the mother of two sons, Leontiscus and Lagus, and of a daughter, Eirene. The statement of Athenaeus that she was actually married to the Egyptian king may be doubted, but he seems to have been warmly attached to her, and brought up their common children in almost princely style. (Athen. 13.576e.) Many anecdotes are recorded of her wit and readiness in repartee, for which she seems to have been as distinguished as for her beauty. (Id. ib. p. 585.) [E.H.B]
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…habet recte feras. Sed ecca ipsa egreditur nostri fundi calamitas ; Nam quod nos capere oportet haec intercipit. THAIS. PHAEDRIA. PARMENO. Miseram me vereor ne illud gravius Phaedria Tulerit, neve aliorsum atque ego feci acceperit…
Terence, Eunuchus
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…hae mihi patent semper fores, Aut quia sum apud te primus. Missa istaec face. Quid missa o Thais, Thais, utinam esset mihi Pars aequa amoris tecum, ac pariter fieret, Ut aut hoc tibi doleret…
Terence, Eunuchus
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…patent semper fores, Aut quia sum apud te primus. Missa istaec face. Quid missa o Thais, Thais, utinam esset mihi Pars aequa amoris tecum, ac pariter fieret, Ut aut hoc tibi doleret itidem ut…
Terence, Eunuchus
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…est mos gerendus est Thaidi. Tu, Parmeno, huc fac illi adducantur. Maxime. In hoc biduum Thais vale. Mi Phaedria Et tu ; numquid vis aliud Egone quid velim Cum milite isto praesens absens ut sies…
Terence, Eunuchus
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…. Nunquam defugiam auctoritatem sequere. Di vortant bene. THRASO. GNATHO. PARMENO. Magnas vero agere gratias Thais mihi Ingentes. Ain tu laeta est Non tam ipso quidem Dono quam abs te datum esse id vero serio…
Terence, Eunuchus
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…scio quo abducta sit. Eho Parmeno mi nostin Novi. Et scis ubi siet Huc deducta est ad meretricem Thaidem ei dono data est. Quis is est tam potens cum tanto munere hoc Miles Thraso, Phaedriae rivalis .…
Terence, Eunuchus
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…quem mercatus est heri, senem, mulierem Istunc ipsum. Homo quatietur certe cum dono foras. Sed istam Thaidem non scivi nobis vicinam. Haud diu est. Perii nunquamne etiam me illam vidisse ehodum dic mihi ; Estne…
Terence, Eunuchus
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…ipsis Vocabula, parasiti item ut Gnathonici vocentur. Viden otium et cibus quid faciat alienus Sed ego cesso Ad Thaidem hanc deducere, et rogitare ad coenam ut veniat Sed Parmenonem ante ostium Thaidis tristem video, Rivalis servum .…
Terence, Eunuchus
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…quid videtur Hoc tibi mancipium Non malum hercle. Uro hominem. Ut falsus animi est Quam hoc munus gratum Thaidi arbitrare esse Hoc nunc dicis, Eiectos hinc nos omnium rerum, heus, vicissitudo est. Sex ego te…
Terence, Eunuchus
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…numquid me aliud vis Quo nunc is Domum, Ut mancipia haec, ita ut iussit frater, ducam ad Thaidem. O fortunatum istum eunuchum qui quidem in hanc detur domum Quid ita Rogitas Summa forma semper conservam domi Videbit…
Terence, Eunuchus
(Θαΐς). A celebrated Athenian courtesan, who accompanied Alexander the Great on his expedition into Asia. After the death of Alexander,
Thaïs attached herself to Ptolemy Lagi, by whom she became the mother of two sons, Leontiscus and Lagus, and of a daughter, Irené. She is said to have urged Alexander on to firing the palace of Darius during a revel—a story which suggested the most striking lines of Dryden's Ode on St. Cecilia's Day. The tradition is probably false (Athen. p. 576; Diod.xvii. 72; Plut. Alex. 38; Q. Curt. v. 7, 3).