Lais (fl. 425 BCE)

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Lais (fl. 425 bce)

Greek hetaerae. Name variations: Laïs; Lais the Elder. Pronunciation: LAY-is. Born probably in Corinth; flourished around 425 bce.

Lais was a Greek hetaerae or courtesan, probably a native of Corinth, who lived in the 5th century bce, during the Peloponnesian war (431–404 bce). She was noted for her beauty and her vices. Following her death at Corinth, a monument was erected to her of a lioness tearing a ram. The German painter, Hans Holbein the Younger (1498–1543), titled his portrait of a beautiful young girl in elegant dress, Lais Corinthiaca (The Corinthian Lais).