With her right hand, she is grabbing a lock of hair on the old mans head.
An aquamanile in the form of Aristotle and Phyllis.
To exact revenge, Phyllis started flirting with Aristotle beguiling the old philosopher with her beauty.
Meanwhile, Phyllis secretly told Alexander to be on a lookout over the garden.
Aristotle and Phyllis, circa 1485.
Image credit:Wikimedia
The story of Phyllis and Aristotle was immensely popular in the middle ages.
She played him along and agreed to an rendezvous at her house.
The ability of influential women to overturn accepted social and cultural norms caused dread and concern among citizens.
Such concerns in turn may have reinforced anxieties about witchcraft, whose belief was prevalent across Europe.
Phyllis and Aristotle, circa 1500.
Image credit:Wikimedia
Aristotle and Phyllis, circa 1515.
Image credit:Wikimedia
Phyllis and Aristotle, circa 1530.
To many, the idea of a woman in power seemed unnatural, a reflection of a topsy-turvy universe.
[…] Yet the image remains ambiguous.
The story of Phyllis and Aristotle is an edifying tale, but did it really happen?
The story was a medieval invention and has no connection to the historical Aristotle.
