Philinnion
Philinnion is the best-preserved walking-corpse story from classical antiquity. Recorded by Hadrian's freedman Phlegon, it tells of a dead bride who rises physically from her family vault to spend three nights with a house guest. When she is discovered she collapses as a corpse, and the city, on a seer's advice, burns the body beyond its borders and purifies itself. The empty tomb and the civic cremation show that Greeks imagined the returning dead as bodies, and dealt with them accordingly.1
- being seen by her parents, at which she dies a second time
- burning the body outside the city boundary
- sacrifices to Hermes Chthonios and the Eumenides and purification of the temples
Quand est-il apparu pour la première fois ?
Phlegon of Tralles, Book of Marvels, 2nd century AD; the story is set in the reign of Philip II of Macedon
Ce que disent les sources
The account is framed as an official's letter asking whether the king should be told1
She gave her lover Machates a gold ring and left her breast-band behind1
Her tomb was opened and found empty except for an iron ring and a gilt cup that Machates had given her1
Her lover killed himself afterwards1
Goethe used the story for 'The Bride of Corinth' (1797)1
Pourriez-vous le distancer ?
Classe de vitesse d'après la description des sources (variable), pas une mesure.
Sources
Chaque fait de cette page provient de ces sources, reformulé dans nos propres mots. Une erreur ? Écrivez-nous à hello@zombiewiki.app.