Aphrodite

On the heels of Bilitis, Pierre Louys published his first novel, Aphrodite in 1896. It was a bestseller, selling 350,000 copies, sealing Louys' reputation as a popular author of erotic literature. Set in Ptolemaic Alexandria, Louys' decadent, sensual vision of Egypt in classical times tells a story of transgressive love. The sculptor Demetrios, the favorite of Queen Berenice, falls for a well-to-do courtesan, Chrysis. Much of the story is set in the world of the courtesans, a realm of beauty, luxury, sapphic indulgence, and some dark shadows as well.