Aphrodite

Originally published in 1896, this famous French classic depicting courtesan life in ancient Alexandria, is considered a graceful mixture of licentiousness and erudition, and made Pierre Louys (1870-1925) famous in his day. It has been called the most fascinating love tale ever told - the modern classic which eclipses in exotic beauty and simplicity all the works of the ancients who wrote on the theme of sensuous live. Charming and exquisite as this masterpiece is, it is nevertheless a true historical document of early Greek morality (set about fifty years B.C.E.). It is unquestionably the greatest of French love novels, and in its day, the best-selling work by any living French writer (350,000 copies), inspiring a host of translations, as well as dramatic and operatic adaptations.