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The Corinth girl

by Eugenia Salza Prina Ricotti

Tales about dead persons who appear after their demise always fascinated people: Ghosts, fear of ghosts and the interest for their story are eternal like eternal are the stars. Of course even in ancient time there were all kind of ghosts exactly as the ones that today haunt the old scotch castles. Also in ancient times there were ghosts who went around shaking their chains; others who, having been killed, wanted vengeance and there were also some faked ones invented to profit of the gullibility of folks. There were ghosts who limited their presence to icy sighs and moans, others who appeared emaciated and sometime even phosphorescent, but there also were sweet phantoms who came back just to enjoy the view of a beloved visage and maybe to embrace again their loved one, a man that they could never forget. To the latter category belong a ghost precisely described by Phlegon of Tralles in the story of the poor Philinion, a girl who died ahead of her time and who was not able to accept to disappear without proving the joy of love.
Philinion had been duly wept and buried, but she couldn’t find peace. Then at the end she succeeded in materialize herself, and leaving her tomb came back to her parents house, the place where she had lived and where she had been very happy. A guest was there, Machates, a young man that she must have well known because she laid in his bed and made love with him. Maybe because the boy was still half asleep, maybe because the room was dark and he didn’t understand who she was, and maybe if, also understanding it, he was happy to be able to embrace her again, he corresponded her approach. The unusual sound did awake the rest of the family and as they couldn’t understand what was happening to Machates they knocked his door and entered the room. What they saw terrorized them and even more distraught were they when, just the moment that Philinion saw them, she fell dead again. The tale that was said to be set at Amphipolis on the Strimon (Thrace) seem to be taken by some letters that Ipparcos worte to Arrideus to inform Philip II king of Macedony.
It is a very romantic story which through the centuries caught the imagination of many people. Also Goethe was fascinated by it and the desire of love of the poor girl
inspired him a yearning love story titled “ The Fiancé of Corinth’s”. Thus from the story of the ancient and little known Phlegon of Tralles poor Philinion passed in the great poet verses and through him she can still be remembered and after more than two thousand year relive her sad story.


BIBLIOGRAPHY
E, NARDI Case “infestate da spiriti” e diritto romano e moderno, Milano 1960 p.77
The tale seems to have been taken from presumed letters written by IPPARCO to ARRIDEO who would inform PHILIP II of Macedonia.
PROCLO, Commenti alla repubblica platonica.
FRIEDLÄNDER Studii intorno agli usi ed ai costumi dei Romani nei due primi secoli dell’era volgare,