indicate the level to which a name has been verified.
Gender Feminine
Usage Ancient Greek (Rare, ?), History
Scripts Βιλιστίχη(Ancient Greek)
Other Forms FormsΒελιστίχη (Belistiche), Βιλιστίχα (Bilisticha)
Meaning & History
Perhaps a Macedonian dialectical form of Philistiche, or a Hellenized form of a non-Greek name. This was borne by a 3rd-century BC hetaira (courtesan or prostitute of ancient Greece) of uncertain origin. According to Pausanias, she was a Macedonian; according to Athenaeus, an Argive; according to Plutarch, a foreign slave bought from the marketplace. She won the tethrippon and synoris horse races in the 264 BC Olympic Games. She became a mistress of Ptolemy II Philadelphus and was deified by him as Aphrodite Bilistiche.