The tale ofPhyllis and Aristotle is a medievalcautionary tale about the triumph of a seductive woman, Phyllis, over the greatest male intellect, the ancient Greek philosopherAristotle. It is one of severalPower of Women stories from that time. Among early versions is the FrenchLai d'Aristote from 1220.

The story of thedominatrix and the famous intellectual was taken up by artists from the 12th century onwards, in media from stone sculpture in churches to panels of wood or ivory, textiles such as carpets and tapestries, engravings, oil paintings, brass jugs (aquamanile), and stained glass. Artists attracted to the theme includeHans Baldung,Albrecht Dürer,Lucas Cranach the Elder, andAlessandro Turchi.

The tale varies in the telling, but the core of it is as follows:Aristotle advises his pupilAlexander to avoid Phyllis, the seductive mistress of his father, theking, but is himself captivated by her. She agrees to ride him, on condition that she play the role ofdominatrix. Phyllis has secretly told Alexander what to expect, and he witnesses Phyllis proving that a woman's charms can overcome even the greatestphilosopher's male intellect. Phyllis is also described as Alexander's mistress or possibly wife, rather than his father's.^[1][2][3]

The entirely invented story is said by theLouvre to derive from the German work byJacques de Vitry in the 13th century.^[4][5] The French workLeLai d'Aristote [fr] (The Lay of Aristotle) is known from manuscripts dating from as early as 1220, attributed by scholars to eitherHenri d'Andeli orHenri de Valenciennes [fr].^[6][7][a]

In 1386, the English poetJohn Gower included a summary of the tale in hisConfessio Amantis (in English, unlike his other major works), a collection of stories of immoral love told in verse. It appears in the poem onApollonius of Tyre (Book 8, 271–2018), where Gower quips that the philosopher'slogic andsyllogisms do not save him:^[9]

I syh there Aristotle also,

Whom that the queene of Grece so

Hathbridled, that in thilke time

Sche made him such aSilogime,

That heforyat al hislogique;

Ther was non art of hisPractique,

Thurgh which it mihte ben excluded

That he ne was fully concluded

To love, and dede his obeissance

Also in the 14th century, theDominican John Herold wrote a Latin version of the story.^[10][11]

In the 15th century, it was featured in the German comedyAin Spil van Maister Aristotiles (A play of Master Aristotle).^[4][12]

Thecautionary tale of the dominatrix who made a fool of the famous philosopher became popular across medieval Europe.^[2] Medieval sculptors in Maasland createdaquamanile, jugs in the forms of scenes with human or other figures, depicting Phyllis and Aristotle. The story was depicted in a variety of media including stone, ivory, brass, carpet,tapestry, and engravings.

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  Stone sculpture,Cadouin Abbey, France, 12th century
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  Panel ofcasket with scenes of romances, France, ivory, 1330–1350
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  Carpet, Freiburg, Germany, 14th century
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  Aquamanile in the form of Phyllis and Aristotle, prob. Maasland, 1400–1450, brass
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  Phyllis riding and slapping Aristotle, Aquamanile, Maasland, c. 1400, brass
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  Detail oftapestry, Basel, 1470s
• 
  Tempera painting byGiovanni Buonconsiglio, early 1500s

Artists such asHans Baldung,^[b]Albrecht Dürer,Lucas Cranach the Elder,Bartholomeus Spranger andJan Sadeler continued to exploit the theme, eventually with Phyllis entirely naked.^[4]Alessandro Turchi called the womanCampaspe, the mistress of Alexander. The media used include engraving, stained glass, wood, and oil painting.

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  Drypoint of Aristotle ridden by Phyllis by theHousebook Master. c. 1490
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  Engraving,Master MZ, c. 1500
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  Engraving,Lucas van Leyden, c. 1520
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  Stained glass, Germany, c. 1520
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  Detail of aPower of Women decoration meant for Nuremberg Town Hall,Albrecht Dürer, 1521
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  Aristotle and Phyllis, the Master of Ottobeuren, wood, 1523
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  Phyllis and Aristotle,Lucas Cranach the Elder, oil on panel, 1530
• 
  Phyllis and Aristotle,Jan Sadeler afterBartholomeus Spranger, engraving, 16th century
• 
  Aristotle andCampaspe,Alessandro Turchi (attrib.) Oil on canvas, 1713

Artists such asJulio Ruelas continued to adapt the Phyllis and Aristotle theme.Oscar Kokoschka produced a version in 1913.^[15]

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  Le Char (The Chariot), poster byEdward Ancourt [fr] for opera byÉmile Pessard, 1878
• 
  Sokrates,Julio Ruelas (1870–1907), 1902. The woman wears modern stockings and shoes

• Rishyasringa

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