Candaules,
King of Lydia, Shews his
Wife by Stealth
to Gyges, One of his Ministers,
as She Goes to Bed
"Candaules,
King of
Lydia..."
by Willian
Etty was
first exhibited
in 1830
The
Greek historian
Herodotus recounted
the story of
Candaules, the
King of Lydia,
who pridefully
demanded that
his ministering
bodyguard Gyges
should spy upon
his wife the
Queen and thereby
be impressed
by her unsurpassed
beauty. Though
Gyges was loathe
to obey and
thus disrespect
the Queen, he
had no choice
but to obey
the King's wish.
Gyges hid behind
a door in the
queen's bedchamber
with instructions
to slip away
when the Queen
turned her back.
Gyges did all
as he had been
told, but after
he had seen
the Queen's
naked body,
she herself
glimpsed him
as he fled from
the room. The
Queen realized
that Candaules
had betrayed
her for the
sake of his
pride at the
expense of her
shame.
The following
day, she bid
that Gyges have
a private audience
with her. She
told Gyges that
for what he
had done, either
he or the King
must die. Again
he was being
asked to commit
a terrible act
that he was
guilt-stricken
to contemplate,
but again he
reluctantly
consented.
The Queen instructed
Gyges to hide
behind a door
in the Royal
Bedchamber as
he had done
before, but
when the King
fell asleep,
the Queen's
revenge was
carried out
as Gyges pierced
Candaules with
a dagger. The
Queen and Gyges
were soon married
and began a
new dynasty
In contemporary
language, the
term candaulism
is now used
to refer to
the sexual kink
of displaying
or offering
a spouse or
partner to another
for personal
gratification.
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