Aphrodite (Ancient Manners) – Pierre Louys – 1896 J.Tallandier Editeur

Year Printed : 1896
Author : Pierre Louys
Illustrated by : Edouard Zier
Printer : Librairie Illustree – J. Tallandier, Editeur – 8 Rue Saint Joseph

During 1896, Louÿs published his first novel, Aphrodite – Ancient Manners (Aphrodite – mœurs antiques), a description of courtesan life in Alexandria.  It is considered a mixture of both literary excess and refinement, and was the best selling work (at 350,000 copies) by any living French author of the time.