Alleged Biography
Most details of Neaira's biography come from a prosecution speech from a trial brought on by adversaries of her partner Stephanos. Other details of the case, including the defense speech, do not survive. Court depositions in classical Athens were not bound by strict rules of evidence. Instead they attempted to convince the jury that the opposing side was immoderate and so capable of committing the offense by virtue of bad moral character. The prosecution testimony is thus not a likely source of reliable information on Neaira's biography, but on what the speechwriter thought adult male Athenian citizens would consider disgraceful, yet plausible. Therefore, the primary value of the surviving court record is the insight it gives into prevailing customs and attitudes surrounding sex trade in classical Greece.
Read more about this topic: Neaira (hetaera)
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