Thaïs: Difference between revisions

'''Thaïs''' ({{lang-el|Θαΐς}}; {{Flourished|4th century BCE}}) was a Greek {{Transliteration|grc|[[hetaira]]}} who accompanied [[Alexander the Great]] on his military campaigns. Likely from [[Athens]], she is most famous for having instigated the burning of [[Persepolis]], the capital city of the [[Achaemenid Empire|Achaemenid Persian Empire]], after it was conquered by [[Ancient Macedonian army|Alexander's army]] in 330 BCE. At the time, Thaïs was the lover of [[Ptolemy I Soter]], who was one of Alexander's close companions and generals. It has been suggested that she may also have been Alexander's lover on the basis of a statement by the Greek rhetorician [[Athenaeus]], who wrotewrites that Alexander liked to "keep Thaïs about him" without directly classifying the nature of their relationship as intimate; this may simply have meant that he enjoyed her company, as she is said to have been very witty and entertaining. Athenaeus also saysstates that after [[Death of Alexander the Great|Alexander's death]] in 323 BCE, Thaïs married Ptolemy and bore three of his children. She may also have risen to power as the [[Great Royal Wife|Queen of Egypt]].<ref name = "Athen 13.576">Athenaeus: ''The Deipnosophists'', [http://attalus.org/old/athenaeus13b.html#576 Book 13, 576e].</ref>