In Greek legendary history, Polycrite () was a maiden of

Naxos Naxos (; , ) is a Greek island belonging to the Cyclades island group. It is the largest island in the group. It was an important centre during the Bronze Age Cycladic Culture and in the Ancient Greek Archaic Period. The island is famous as ...

who, as her home city was besieged by the armies of

Miletus Miletus (Ancient Greek: Μίλητος, Mílētos) was an influential ancient Greek city on the western coast of Anatolia, near the mouth of the Maeander River in present day Turkey. Renowned in antiquity for its wealth, maritime power, and ex ...

and Erythraea, came to be loved by the Erythraean general Diognetus, and devised a stratagem which led to the victory of the Naxians. There existed two versions of her story, which are as follows. According to

Plutarch Plutarch (; , ''Ploútarchos'', ; – 120s) was a Greek Middle Platonist philosopher, historian, biographer, essayist, and priest at the Temple of Apollo (Delphi), Temple of Apollo in Delphi. He is known primarily for his ''Parallel Lives'', ...

(who follows the Naxian authors) and

Polyaenus Polyaenus or Polyenus ( ; see ae (æ) vs. e; , "much-praised") was a 2nd-century Roman Macedonian author and rhetorician, known best for his ''Stratagems in War'' (), which has been preserved. He was born in Bithynia, Asia Minor. The ''Suda'' c ...

, Polycrite was taken captive by Diognetus as he ravaged Naxos; he fell in love with Polycrite and made her his legal wife. As the Milesian army was celebrating a religious festival, Polycrite asked Diognetus if she could send some bakery to her brothers in the besieged city. He permitted and even encouraged her to do so; she then enclosed a tablet with a note in a loaf of bread, instructing her brothers to take advantage of the fact that the Milesians were going to get drunk during the celebrations, and to attack at night. The brothers in turn delivered the message to the Naxian generals, who followed the advice of Polycrite and thus won a victory over the Milesians. Polycrite asked for mercy on Diognetus, saving him and his possessions. As the citizens welcomed her at the gate of the city, she was so overwhelmed with joy that she could not bear it and fell down dead. She was buried on the spot, and her tomb became known as the "Tomb of Envy", as though Fate became envious of her and would not let her enjoy the honors. In another version, which was recorded by

Parthenius of Nicaea Parthenius of Nicaea () or Myrlea () in Bithynia was a Greeks, Greek Philologist, grammarian and poet. According to the ''Suda'', he was the son of Heraclides and Eudora, or according to Hermippus of Berytus, his mother's name was Tetha. He was take ...

and, according to Plutarch's remark, was also followed by

Aristotle Aristotle (; 384–322 BC) was an Ancient Greek philosophy, Ancient Greek philosopher and polymath. His writings cover a broad range of subjects spanning the natural sciences, philosophy, linguistics, economics, politics, psychology, a ...

, Polycrite had been accidentally left at a temple of

Artemis In ancient Greek religion and Greek mythology, mythology, Artemis (; ) is the goddess of the hunting, hunt, the wilderness, wild animals, transitions, nature, vegetation, childbirth, Kourotrophos, care of children, and chastity. In later tim ...

outside the city when the city itself was blockaded by the Milesians. There she was spotted by Diognetus who became enamoured of her. Out of piety he dared not take her by force in the temple and thus sent messages asking her to become his lover. At first she would reject those but then responded that she would consent on condition that he swear by the name of Artemis to fulfill any wish of hers in return. When he did so, she told him to betray his Milesian allies and support the Naxians instead. He was hesitant at first but then, impressed by the girl's patriotism, agreed. In the meantime, the Milesian army was celebrating the

Thargelia Thargelia () was one of the chief Athenian festivals in honour of the Delian Apollo and Artemis, held on their birthdays, the 6th and 7th of the month Thargelion (about May 24 and May 25). Essentially an agricultural festival, the Thargelia in ...

, which was going to be a distraction. Diognetus and Polycrite decided to make use of this and sent a loaf of bread to Polycrite's brothers in the city; in the loaf was put a tablet with instructions for them. When Polycles, a brother of Polycrite, received the message, he was unsure whether they could trust Diognetus, but eventually a decision was made in favor of action. The following night, the Naxians broke through the blockading wall with assistance of Diognetus who held up a signal light and left a gate open for them. In the battle that ensued, the Naxians were victorious but Diognetus was killed. Polycrite was much honored for saving her home city, and the people brought her so many gifts that she was suffocated under their weight and died. Her and Diognetus' bodies were placed on one and the same funeral pyre, and a hundred sheep were sacrificed at her funeral ceremony. Parthenius, ''Love Romances''
9
(with reference to

Andriscus Andriscus (, ''Andrískos''; 154/153 BC – 146 BC), also often referenced as Pseudo-Philip, was a Greek pretender who became the last independent king of Macedon in 149 BC as Philip VI (, ''Philipos''), based on his claim of being Philip, a n ...

' ''Naxiaca'' and

Theophrastus Theophrastus (; ; c. 371 – c. 287 BC) was an ancient Greek Philosophy, philosopher and Natural history, naturalist. A native of Eresos in Lesbos, he was Aristotle's close colleague and successor as head of the Lyceum (classical), Lyceum, the ...

' ''Political History'')

References

{{reflist Women in ancient Greek warfare