The history of Phyllis and Aristotle
Allegories were common in 16th and 17th century European culture. Told to moralise the public, more specifically to control and dominate women to make them more effective, free labor in the home.
Phyllis and Aristotle are a typical story. Phyllis was the wife of the Holy Roman Emperor, who was also being tutored by Aristotle at the time. Aristotle attempted to teach the Emperor restraint when considering his earthly pleasures and urge him to live a more saintly life. So, Aristotle counselled the Emperor to abstain from sex with his wife to teach him these ascetic ways. Phyllis became infuriated when she learned of the “teachings” and vowed to take revenge on Aristotle.
Over the next weeks, she seduces Aristotle and he falls in love. He begs for her and she seemingly relents! She demands he prove his love through an act of humility, demanding that he get down on all fours and let Phyllis ride on his back. He agrees in hopes of a loving embrace, but she sets the trap. Phyllis tells her husband that Aristotle is in love with her and to see the proof, he must wait behind a curtain to witness his tutor’s betrayal.
The scene unfolds: Aristotle, the famous philosopher, prostrates himself and Phyllis rides him like a horse; all the while, the Emperor witnesses the entire scene. When the Emperor confronts Aristotle, Aristotle insists that this whole scene was another one of his “teachings”. The lesson is to never trust a woman and especially men in high positions should be wary of any woman no matter her station.
In an attempt to capture this allegory with images, one iconic visual scene has prevailed over the centuries: Phyllis riding Aristotle like a horse with a whip in hand. The internet and search engines provide a wonderfully simple crucible, separating the image from the context. Now we (concerning women) have a treasure trove of images where women are dominating men. I’ll share a few images with you. Hopefully you enjoy the powerful and playful feel of these images!
Phyllis and Aristotle. Lucas Cranach. Oil on panel. 1530
