discussed and admired her discourse.  It is agreed that she was of Milesian origin, and that her father’s name was Axiochus; and she is said to have reserved her favours for the most powerful personages in Greece, in imitation of Thargelia, an Ionian lady of ancient times, of great beauty, ability, and attractions, who had many lovers among the Greeks, and brought them all over to the Persian interest, by which means the seeds of the Persian faction were sown in many cities of Greece, as they were all men of great influence and position.

Now some writers say that Perikles valued Aspasia only for her wisdom and political ability.  Indeed Sokrates and his friends used to frequent her society; and those who listened to her discourse used to bring their wives with them, that they too might profit by it, although her profession was far from being honourable or decent, for she kept courtesans in her house.  Aeschines says that Lysikles, the sheep dealer, a low-born and low-minded man, became one of the first men in Athens, because he lived with Aspasia after Perikles’s death.  In Plato’s dialogue too, called ‘Menexenus,’ though the first part is written in a humorous style, yet there is in it thus much of serious truth, that she was thought to discuss questions of rhetoric with many Athenians.  But Perikles seems to have been more enamoured of Aspasia’s person than her intellect.  He was married to a woman who was nearly related to him, who had previously been the wife of Hipponikus, by whom she became the mother of Kallias the rich.  By her Perikles had two sons, Xanthippus and Paralus; but afterwards, as they could not live comfortably together, he, at his wife’s wish, handed her over to another husband, and himself lived with Aspasia, of whom he was passionately fond.  It is said that he never went in or out of his house during the day without kissing her.  In the comedies of the time, she is spoken of as the new Omphale and as Deianeira, and sometimes as Hera (Juno).  Kratinus plainly speaks of her as a harlot in the following lines: 

    “To him Vice bore a Juno new,
    Aspasia, shameless harlot.”

He is thought to have had a bastard son by her, who is mentioned by Eupolis in his play of ‘The Townships,’ where Perikles is introduced, asking, “Lives then my son?” to which Myronides answers: 

    “He lives, and long had claimed a manly name,
    But that he feared his harlot mother’s shame.”

It is said that Aspasia became so illustrious and well known that the Cyrus who fought with his brother for the empire of Persia, called his favourite concubine Aspasia, though she had before been named Milto.  She was a Phokaean by birth, the daughter of Hermotimus.  After the death of Cyrus in battle, she was taken into the king’s harem, and acquired great influence with him.  These particulars about Aspasia occurred to my memory, and I thought that perhaps I might please my readers by relating them.