Kara Sears
Aspasia of Miletus was the common-law wife of Pericles. She was born in Miletus, a city-state in Ionia, and moved to Athens, where she began a relationship with Pericles, with whom she had a son named Pericles the Younger. Aspasia was a metic (a person not born in Athens), and as such, was not permitted to marry an Athenian citizen. Aspasia was a woman of great eloquence and intelligence, influencing many writers, thinkers, and statesmen of her time. She operated a salon and a girl's school, and was a friend to philosophers, including Socrates and Plato. Aspasia has been portrayed in various ways throughout history, from a respectable wife and companion to Pericles to a prostitute and madam.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Name | Aspasia of Miletus |
| Date of Birth | c. 470 BCE |
| Date of Death | after 428 BCE |
| Relationship Status with Pericles | Common-law wife, concubine, or companion |
| Date of Relationship with Pericles | c. 445 BCE |
| Children with Pericles | Pericles the Younger |
| Occupation | Teacher, rhetorician, writer, madam, courtesan, or prostitute |
| Education | Highly educated |
| Hometown | Miletus |
| Influence | Influenced writers, thinkers, and statesmen of her time |
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What You'll Learn
Aspasia of Miletus was Pericles' common-law wife
Aspasia of Miletus was the common-law wife of Pericles, the Athenian statesman and general. She was born in Miletus, a city-state in Ionia (on the western coast of modern-day Turkey), and moved to Athens, where she began a relationship with Pericles. Aspasia was a metic, a person not born in Athens, and as such, she was not allowed to marry an Athenian citizen. This was due to legislation that Pericles himself had enacted shortly before Aspasia's arrival in the city, which restricted Athenian citizenship to those of Athenian parentage on both sides.
Aspasia was a woman of great eloquence and intelligence, known for her influence on many writers, thinkers, and statesmen of her time. She was a friend to philosophers, including Socrates, and operated a salon and a renowned girls' school in Athens. She lived free of female seclusion and conducted herself like a male intellectual, expounding on topics such as current events, philosophy, and rhetoric. Aspasia's fans included not only Socrates but also Plato, Cicero, Xenophon, Athenaeus, and, of course, Pericles himself.
The exact details of Aspasia's life are unclear, and she is primarily known through her association with Pericles. The couple had a son together, Pericles the Younger, who was born out of wedlock. Pericles successfully appealed to the Athenians to reverse the citizenship law in the case of his son, allowing Pericles the Younger to become a citizen and legitimate heir.
Aspasia was often attacked by comic poets and playwrights of the time, who criticised her relationship with Pericles and her influence over him. She was accused of instigating Pericles to conduct an expedition against the island of Samos, a trade rival of her native Miletus. Despite these objections, the couple remained popular, and Pericles defended their relationship against accusations of corrupting Athenian society.
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Aspasia was a metic (non-Athenian)
Aspasia of Miletus was a metic—a non-Athenian—and, as such, was not permitted to marry an Athenian citizen. This was due to a law enacted by Pericles himself, which restricted Athenian citizenship to those of Athenian parentage on both sides. This law made marriage between Aspasia and Pericles impossible. Despite this, the couple were in a long-term relationship and had a son together, Pericles the Younger.
Aspasia was born in Miletus, a city-state in Ionia, on the western coast of modern-day Turkey. Miletus was, for a century, the intellectual hub of the ancient Greek-speaking world. It is unclear when Aspasia moved to Athens or why, but it is speculated that she was the younger sister of the wife of the elder Alcibiades, who had been exiled and then returned to Athens with his wife and her sister.
In Athens, Aspasia stood out due to her foreign background and uncommon intellect. She was a woman of great eloquence and intelligence, influencing many writers, thinkers, and statesmen of her time. She lived free of female seclusion and conducted herself like a male intellectual, discussing philosophy, current events, and rhetoric. She operated a salon, which her critics called a brothel, and a girl's school, which was also cited by some as a brothel or a house where she secured young girls for the pleasure of upper-class men. However, it is important to note that such houses were considered legitimate businesses and options for women in Ancient Greece.
Aspasia's relationship with Pericles was attacked by many, including Pericles' own son, Xanthippus. They were criticised for Aspasia's alleged unseemly influence over Pericles and his political policies. Comic playwrights of the day, reflecting the political views of conservative Athenians who despised populist politicians like Pericles, hurled insults at the couple. Aspasia was called a 'whore', a 'brothel madam', and a 'mother of a bastard'. Despite these objections, the couple remained popular, and Pericles defended their relationship against accusations of corrupting Athenian society.
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She was a woman of great eloquence and intelligence
Aspasia of Miletus, the common-law wife of Pericles, was a woman of great eloquence and intelligence. She was born in Miletus, a city-state in Ionia, and moved to Athens, where she lived during the Golden Age of the fifth century BC. Aspasia was a metic—a non-Athenian—and as such, she was not permitted to marry an Athenian citizen. This restriction was due to a law that Pericles himself had supported and enacted shortly before Aspasia's arrival in Athens. Despite this, the couple began a relationship around 445 BC, and Aspasia moved into Pericles' home as his concubine. They had a son together, whom they named Pericles the Younger.
Aspasia was a woman of great intellect and education, surpassing the limited expectations for women in her time. She established a renowned girl's school and a popular salon in Athens, which some critics called a brothel. She lived free of female seclusion and conducted herself like a male intellectual, expounding on current events, philosophy, and rhetoric. Aspasia counted among her admirers some of the most celebrated Athenian intellectuals and politicians, including Socrates, Plato, Cicero, Xenophon, and Pericles himself. She is said to have influenced the thoughts and writings of many of these men, with some even suggesting that she wrote Pericles' famous speeches.
Aspasia's intelligence and influence extended beyond the philosophical and rhetorical realms and into the political. She was accused of having an unseemly influence over Pericles and his political policies, particularly regarding an expedition against the island of Samos, a trade rival of her native Miletus. These accusations were often levied by comic poets and playwrights, who ridiculed the couple and Aspasia's foreign background. However, despite the vituperation they faced, the couple remained popular, and Pericles fiercely defended their relationship.
Aspasia's life and achievements have been recognised and remembered throughout history. By the eighteenth century, she was widely known and included in dictionaries and encyclopaedias, often portrayed as an educated woman and Pericles' teacher and wife. In the nineteenth century, she was depicted in paintings as a respectable wife and the centre of discussions with celebrated Athenian intellectuals and politicians. In more recent times, Aspasia has been viewed as a feminist role model, with some seeing her as a pioneer for women's rights.
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![Pericles and Aspasia [ 1894 ]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/61ISQYE82EL._AC_UY218_.jpg)
Aspasia and Pericles had a son, Pericles the Younger
Aspasia of Miletus was the common-law wife of Pericles. She was born in Miletus, a city-state in Ionia, and moved to Athens, where she lived from around 450 to 428 BCE. Aspasia was a metic—a non-Athenian—and, as such, was not permitted to marry an Athenian citizen. This restriction was due to a law that Pericles himself had enacted, which discouraged marriages between Athenian men and non-Athenian women. Despite this, Aspasia and Pericles began a relationship around 445 BCE, and she moved into his home as his concubine. They had a son together, named Pericles the Younger, who was born out of wedlock.
Pericles and Aspasia's relationship was not without controversy. Aspasia was attacked for her sexual allure and alleged influence over Pericles and his political policies. She was portrayed in ancient comedy as a prostitute and madam, while ancient philosophers depicted her as a teacher and rhetorician. Despite these differing portrayals, Aspasia was a woman of great eloquence and intelligence, influencing many writers, thinkers, and statesmen of her time. She operated a salon and a girl's school in Athens, contributing to learning in the city.
Pericles and Aspasia's son, Pericles the Younger, was initially not recognised as a citizen of Athens due to his mother's non-Athenian status. However, just before Pericles' death, the Athenians allowed a change in the law, making Pericles the Younger a citizen and legitimate heir. This was a notable exception to the citizenship law that Pericles had previously supported.
Pericles the Younger's birth year is estimated to be around 440 BCE, and he lived until 406 BCE. Not much is known about his life, but his existence and recognition as Pericles' heir are significant, especially considering the legal and social challenges presented by his parents' unconventional relationship.
In conclusion, Aspasia and Pericles' son, Pericles the Younger, was born into a family that faced societal and political scrutiny. Despite these challenges, Pericles the Younger gained citizenship and legitimacy through his father's efforts and the support of the Athenians. The recognition of Pericles the Younger as Pericles' heir is a notable aspect of their family's story, leaving a mark on the history of classical Athens.
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Aspasia was portrayed as a prostitute and madam
Aspasia of Miletus was the common-law wife of Pericles, with whom she had a son, Pericles the Younger. Aspasia was a metic (a person not born in Athens) and, as such, was not permitted to marry an Athenian citizen. This was due to legislation enacted by Pericles himself, which restricted Athenian citizenship to those of Athenian parentage on both sides.
Despite being held in high regard by many of Athens' socialites, Aspasia was attacked by comic poets and playwrights of her time, who sought to criticise Pericles through his foreign-born mistress. These depictions often portrayed Aspasia in a negative light, as a prostitute and a madam.
In surviving comic passages, Aspasia is called a 'whore', 'brothel madam,' and 'mother of a bastard'. She was also accused of having an unseemly influence over Pericles and his political policies, including instigating an expedition against the island of Samos, a trade rival of her native city Miletus.
Ancient depictions of Aspasia vary. While Aristophanes' Acharnians comically charges Aspasia with starting the Peloponnesian War over the abduction of "two whores" of hers, Plato's image of her in his Menexenus is quite different. In Plato's satirical dialogue, Aspasia is Socrates' teacher in rhetoric.
In the Hellenistic and Roman periods, some authors followed a more positive portrayal of Aspasia, distancing her from prostitution and instead situating her in a tradition of wise women. For example, Didymus Chalcenterus wrote about exceptional women in history in his Symposiaka, downplaying Aspasia's sexuality but noting her influence on Socrates' philosophy and Pericles' rhetoric.
By the eighteenth century, Aspasia was widely known and included in dictionaries and encyclopaedies, with depictions largely based on Plutarch. Jean Leconte de Bièvre's Histoire de deux Aspasies, published in 1736, portrayed Aspasia as an educated woman, Pericles' teacher, and wife. The first known image of Aspasia created by a woman, Marie Bouliard's Aspasie, also differs from more pornographic depictions of women. In this painting, Aspasia is shown with one breast bared, but she looks into a mirror rather than out at the viewer, and holds a scroll rather than a cosmetic object.
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Frequently asked questions
Aspasia of Miletus was the common-law wife of Pericles.
Aspasia was born in Miletus, a city-state in Ionia, which is now on the western coast of modern-day Turkey.
Pericles and Aspasia began their relationship around 445 BC, about five years after Aspasia arrived in Athens.
Yes, Pericles and Aspasia had a son together, named Pericles the Younger.
Aspasia was a woman of great eloquence and intelligence, known for her contributions to learning in Athens. She established a renowned girls' school and a popular salon, and was a friend to philosophers such as Socrates.
