[ilds] Thais of Alexandria

[Bruce Redwine]

Somewhere in City of Memory or elsewhere Michael Haag says (if I’m not wrong) that Justine is an embodiment of a whole line of women from Egyptian history.  He probably has Cleopatra VII in mind, but the statement seems exaggerated.  Dunno if Durrell read Anatole France’s Thaïs or Massenet’s opera based on the novel.  The story (which I haven’t read) is about the journey from prostitution to sainthood.  That theme may have appealed to LD, although Justine is no saint, nor any of the other women in the Quartet.

Bruce




 
> On Jun 3, 2015, at 2:26 AM, Sumantra Nag <sumantranag at gmail.com> wrote:
> 
> The story of Thais a famous and beautiful courtesan of Alexandria in 4th century Roman Egypt who repented and converted to Christianity has been celebrated in opera and in literature. She seems to be the kind of symbol through whom the mythology of Alexandria as a city would be historically constructed.
> 
> Sumantra
> 
> Sent from my Asus Zenfone
> 
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