by Demosthenes
Φιλόστρατος Διονυσίου Κολωνῆθεν μαρτυρεῖ εἰδέναι Νέαιραν Νικαρέτης οὖσαν, ἧσπερ καὶ Μετάνειρα ἐγένετο, καὶ κατάγεσθαι παρ᾽ αὑτῷ, ὅτε εἰς τὰ μυστήρια ἐπεδήμησαν ἐν Κορίνθῳ οἰκοῦσαι: καταστῆσαι δὲ αὐτὰς ὡς αὑτὸν Λυσίαν τὸν Κεφάλου, φίλον ὄντα ἑαυτῷ καὶ ἐπιτήδειον.”
[23] To prove the truth of my statements — that the defendant belonged to Nicaretê and followed in her train, and that she prostituted her person to anyone who wished to pay for it — I will call Philostratus as witness to these facts.”Deposition
Philostratus, son of Dionysius, of Colonus, deposes that he knows that Neaera was a slave of Nicaretê, to whom Metaneira also belonged, that they were residents of Corinth, and that they stayed at his house when they came to Athens for the mysteries, and that Lysias the son of Cephalêus, who was an intimate friend of his, established them in his house.”
[24] πάλιν τοίνυν, ὦ ἄνδρες Ἀθηναῖοι, μετὰ ταῦτα Σῖμος ὁ Θετταλὸς ἔχων Νέαιραν ταυτηνὶ ἀφικνεῖται δεῦρο εἰς τὰ Παναθήναια τὰ μεγάλα. συνηκολούθει δὲ καὶ ἡ Νικαρέτη αὐτῇ, κατήγοντο δὲ παρὰ Κτησίππῳ τῷ Γλαυκωνίδου τῷ Κυδαντίδῃ, καὶ συνέπινεν καὶ συνεδείπνει ἐναντίον πολλῶν Νέαιρα αὑτηὶ ὡς ἂν ἑταίρα οὖσα. καὶ ὅτι ἀληθῆ λέγω, τούτων ὑμῖν τοὺς μάρτυρας καλῶ.
[24] Again after this, men of Athens, Simus the Thessalian came here with the defendant Neaera for the great Panathenaea. Nicaretê came with her, and they lodged with Ctesippus son of Glauconides,of Cydantidae; and the defendant Neaera drank and dined with them in the presence of many men, as any courtesan would do.
To prove the truth of my statements, I will call witnesses to these facts.
[25] καί μοι κάλει Εὐφίλητον Σίμωνος Αἰξωνέα καὶ Ἀριστόμαχον Κριτοδήμου Ἀλωπεκῆθεν.”Μάρτυρες
Εὐφίλητος Σίμωνος Αἰξωνεύς, Ἀριστόμαχος Κριτοδήμου Ἀλωπεκῆθεν, μαρτυροῦσιν εἰδέναι Σῖμον τὸν Θετταλὸν ἀφικόμενον Ἀθήναζε εἰς τὰ Παναθήναια τὰ μεγάλα, καὶ μετ᾽ αὐτοῦ Νικαρέτην καὶ Νέαιραν τὴν νυνὶ ἀγωνιζομένην: καὶ κατάγεσθαι αὐτοὺς παρὰ Κτησίππῳ τῷ Γλαυκωνίδου, καὶ συμπίνειν μετ᾽ αὐτῶν Νέαιραν ὡς ἑταίραν οὖσαν καὶ ἄλλων πολλῶν παρόντων καὶ συμπινόντων παρὰ Κτησίππῳ.”
[25] Please call Euphiletus, son of Simon, of Aexonê, and Aristomachus, son of Critodemus, of Alopecê.”WitnessesEuphiletus son of Simon, of Aexonê, and Aristomachus son of Critodemus, of Alopecê, depose that they know that Simus the Thessalian came to Athens for the great Panathenaea, and that Nicaretê came with him, and Neaera, the present defendant; and that they lodged with Ctesippus son of Glauconides, and that Neaera drank with them as being a courtesan, while many others were present and joined in the drinking in the house of Ctesippus.”
[26] μετὰ ταῦτα τοίνυν ἐν τῇ Κορίνθῳ αὐτῆς ἐπιφανῶς ἐργαζομένης καὶ οὔσης λαμπρᾶς ἄλλοι τε ἐρασταὶ γίγνονται καὶ Ξενοκλείδης ὁ ποιητὴς καὶ Ἵππαρχος ὁ ὑποκριτής, καὶ εἶχον αὐτὴν μεμισθωμένοι. καὶ ὅτι ἀληθῆ λέγω, τοῦ μὲν Ξενοκλείδου οὐκ ἂν δυναίμην ὑμῖν μαρτυρίαν παρασχέσθαι:
[26] After this, you must know, she plied her trade openly in Corinth and was quite a celebrity, having among other lovers Xenocleides the poet, and Hipparchus the actor, who kept her on hire. To prove the truth of my statement I cannot bring before you the testimony of Xenocleides, since the laws do not permit him to testify.
[27] οὐ γὰρ ἐῶσιν αὐτὸν οἱ νόμοι μαρτυρεῖν: ὅτε γὰρ Λακεδαιμονίους ὑμεῖς ἐσῴζετε πεισθέντες ὑπὸ Καλλιστράτου, τότε ἀντειπὼν ἐν τῷ δήμῳ τῇ βοηθείᾳ, ἐωνημένος τὴν πεντηκοστὴν τοῦ σίτου ἐν εἰρήνῃ καὶ δέον αὐτὸν καταβάλλειν τὰς καταβολὰς εἰς τὸ βουλευτήριον κατὰ πρυτανείαν, καὶ οὔσης αὐτῷ ἀτελείας ἐκ τῶν νόμων οὐκ ἐξελθὼν ἐκείνην τὴν στρατείαν, γραφεὶς ὑπὸ Στεφάνου τουτουὶ ἀστρατείας καὶ διαβληθεὶς τῷ λόγῳ ἐν τῷ δικαστηρίῳ ἑάλω καὶ ἠτιμώθη.
[27] For when on the advice of Callistratus you undertook to aid the Lacedaemonians, he at that time opposed in the assembly the vote to do so, because he had purchased the right to collect the two per cent tax on grain during the peace, and was obliged to deposit his collections in the senate-chamber during each prytany. For this he was entitled to exemption under the laws and did not go out on that expedition; but he was indicted by this man Stephanus for avoidance of military duty, and being slanderously maligned in the latter’s speech before the court, was convicted and deprived of his civic rights.
[28] καίτοι πῶς οὐκ οἴεσθε δεινὸν εἶναι, εἰ τοὺς μὲν φύσει πολίτας καὶ γνησίως μετέχοντας τῆς πόλεως ἀπεστέρηκε τῆς παρρησίας Στέφανος οὑτοσί, τοὺς δὲ μηδὲν προσήκοντας βιάζεται Ἀθηναίους εἶναι παρὰ πάντας τοὺς νόμους; τὸν δ᾽ Ἵππαρχον αὐτὸν ὑμῖν καλῶ, καὶ ἀναγκάσω μαρτυρεῖν ἢ ἐξόμνυσθαι κατὰ τὸν νόμον, ἢ κλητεύσω αὐτόν. καί μοι κάλει Ἵππαρχον.”Μαρτυρία
Ἵππαρχος Ἀθμονεὺς μαρτυρεῖ Ξενοκλείδην καὶ αὑτὸν μισθώσασθαι Νέαιραν ἐν Κορίνθῳ τὴν νῦν ἀγωνιζομένην, ὡς ἑταίραν οὖσαν τῶν μισθαρνουσῶν, καὶ συμπίνειν ἐν Κορίνθῳ Νέαιραν μεθ᾽ αὑτοῦ καὶ Ξενοκλείδου τοῦ ποιητοῦ.”
[28] And yet do you not count it a monstrous thing that this Stephanus has taken the right of free speech from those who are native-born citizens and are lawful members of our commonwealth, and in defiance of all the laws forces upon you as Athenians those who have no such right? I will, however, call Hipparchus himself and force him either to give testimony or take the oath of disclaimer, or I will subpoena him.
Please call Hipparchus.”Deposition
Hipparchus of Athmonon deposes that Xenocleides and he hired in Corinth Neaera, the present defendant, as a courtesan who prostituted herself for money, and that Neaera used to drink at Corinth in the company of himself and Xenocleides the poet.”
[29] μετὰ ταῦτα τοίνυν αὐτῆς γίγνονται ἐρασταὶ δύο, Τιμανορίδας τε ὁ Κορίνθιος καὶ Εὐκράτης ὁ Λευκάδιος, οἳ ἐπειδήπερ πολυτελὴς ἦν ἡ Νικαρέτη τοῖς ἐπιτάγμασιν, ἀξιοῦσα τὰ καθ᾽ ἡμέραν ἀναλώματα ἅπαντα τῇ οἰκίᾳ παρ᾽ αὐτῶν λαμβάνειν, κατατιθέασιν αὐτῆς τιμὴν τριάκοντα μνᾶς τοῦ σώματος τῇ Νικαρέτῃ, καὶ ὠνοῦνται αὐτὴν παρ᾽ αὐτῆς νόμῳ πόλεως καθάπαξ αὑτῶν δούλην εἶναι. καὶ εἶχον καὶ ἐχρῶντο ὅσον ἐβούλοντο αὐτῇ χρό
νον.
[29] After this, then, she had two lovers, Timanoridas the Corinthian and Eucrates the Leucadian. These men seeing that Nicaretê was extravagant in the sums she exacted from them, for she demanded that they should supply the entire daily expenses of the household, paid down to Nicaretê thirty minae as the price of Neaera’s person, and purchased the girl outright from her in accordance with the law of the city, to be their slave.
[30] μέλλοντες δὲ γαμεῖν, προαγορεύουσιν αὐτῇ, ὅτι οὐ βούλονται αὐτὴν σφῶν αὐτῶν ἑταίραν γεγενημένην ὁρᾶν ἐν Κορίνθῳ ἐργαζομένην οὐδ᾽ ὑπὸ πορνοβοσκῷ οὖσαν, ἀλλ᾽ ἡδέως ἂν αὑτοῖς εἴη ἔλαττόν τε τἀργύριον κομίσασθαι παρ᾽ αὐτῆς ἢ κατέθεσαν, καὶ αὐτὴν ταύτην ὁρᾶν τι ἀγαθὸν ἔχουσαν. ἀφιέναι οὖν αὐτῇ ἔφασαν εἰς ἐλευθερίαν χιλίας δραχμάς, πεντακοσίας ἑκάτερος: τὰς δ᾽ εἴκοσι μνᾶς ἐκέλευον αὐτὴν ἐξευροῦσαν αὑτοῖς ἀποδοῦναι. ἀκούσασα δ᾽ αὕτη τοὺς λόγους τούτους τοῦ τε Εὐκράτους καὶ Τιμανορίδου, μεταπέμπεται εἰς τὴν Κόρινθον ἄλλους τε τῶν ἐραστῶν τῶν γεγενημένων αὐτῇ καὶ Φρυνίωνα τὸν Παιανιέα, Δήμωνος μὲν ὄντα υἱόν, Δημοχάρους δὲ ἀδελφόν, ἀσελγῶς δὲ καὶ πολυτελῶς διάγοντα τὸν βίον, ὡς ὑμῶν οἱ πρεσβύτεροι μνημονεύουσιν.
[30] And they kept her and made use of her as long a time as they pleased. When, however, they were about to marry, they gave her notice that they did not want to see her, who had been their own mistress, plying her trade in Corinth or living under the control of a brothel-keeper; but that they would be glad to recover from her less than they had paid down, and to see her reaping some advantage for herself. They offered, therefore, to remit one thousand drachmae toward the price of her freedom, five hundred drachmae apiece; and they bade her, when she found the means, to pay them the twenty minae. When she heard this proposal from Eucrates and Timanoridas, she summoned to Corinth among others who had been her lovers Phrynion of Paeania, the son of Demon and the brother of Demochares, a man who was living a licentious and extravagant life, as the older ones among you remember.
[31] ἀφικομένου δ᾽ ὡς αὐτὴν τοῦ Φρυνίωνος, λέγει πρὸς αὐτὸν τοὺς λόγους οὓς εἶπον πρὸς αὐτὴν ὅ τε Εὐκράτης καὶ Τιμανορίδας, καὶ δίδωσιν αὐτῷ τὸ ἀργύριον ὃ παρὰ τῶν ἄλλων ἐραστῶν ἐδασμολόγησεν ἔρανον εἰς τὴν ἐλευθερίαν συλλέγουσα, καὶ εἴ τι ἄρα αὐτὴ περιεποιήσατο, καὶ δεῖται αὐτοῦ προσθέντα τὸ ἐπίλοιπον, οὗ προσέδει εἰς τὰς εἴκοσι μνᾶς, καταθεῖναι αὑτῆς τῷ τε Εὐκράτει καὶ τῷ Τιμανορίδᾳ ὥστε ἐλευθέραν εἶναι.
[31] When Phrynion came to her, she told him the proposal which Eucrates and Timanoridas had made to her, and gave him the money which she had collected from her other lovers as a contribution toward the price of her freedom, and added whatever she had gained for herself, and she begged him to advance the balance needed to make up the twenty minae, and to pay it to Eucrates and Timanoridas to secure her freedom.
[32] ἅσμενος δ᾽ ἀκούσας ἐκεῖνος τοὺς λόγους τούτους αὐτῆς, καὶ λαβὼν τἀργύριον ὃ παρὰ τῶν ἐραστῶν τῶν ἄλλων εἰσηνέχθη αὐτῇ, καὶ προσθεὶς τὸ ἐπίλοιπον αὐτός, κατατίθησιν αὐτῆς τὰς εἴκοσι μνᾶς τῷ Εὐκράτει καὶ τῷ Τιμανορίδᾳ ἐπ᾽ ἐλευθερίᾳ καὶ ἐφ᾽ ᾧ ἐν Κορίνθῳ μὴ ἐργάζεσθαι. καὶ ὅτι ταῦτ᾽ ἀληθῆ λέγω, τούτων ὑμῖν τὸν παραγενόμενον μάρτυρα καλῶ. καί μοι κάλει Φίλαγρον Μελιτέα.”Μαρτυρία
Φίλαγρος Μελιτεὺς μαρτυρεῖ παρεῖναι ἐν Κορίνθῳ, ὅτε Φρυνίων ὁ Δημοχάρους ἀδελφὸς κατετίθει εἴκοσι μνᾶς Νεαίρας τῆς νῦν ἀγωνιζομένης Τιμανορίδᾳ τῷ Κορινθίῳ καὶ Εὐκράτει τῷ Λευκαδίῳ, καὶ καταθεὶς τὸ ἀργύριον ᾤχετο ἀπάγων Ἀθήναζε Νέαιραν.”
[32] He listened gladly to these words of hers,and taking the money which had been paid in to her by her other lovers added the balance himself and paid the twenty minae as the price of her freedom to Eucrates and Timanoridas on the condition that she should not ply her trade in Corinth.
To prove that these statements of mine are true, I will call as witness to them the man who was present.
Please call Philagrus of Melitê.”Deposition
Philagrus of Melitê deposes that he was present in Corinth when Phrynion, the brother of Demochares, paid down twenty minae as the price of Neaera, the present defendant, to Timanoridas, the Corinthian, and Eucrates, the Leucadian; and that after paying down the money Phrynion went off to Athens, taking Neaera with him.”
[33] ἀφικόμενος τοίνυν δεῦρο ἔχων αὐτὴν ἀσελγῶς καὶ προπετῶς ἐχρῆτο αὐτῇ, καὶ ἐπὶ τὰ δεῖπνα ἔχων αὐτὴν πανταχοῖ ἐπορεύετο ὅπου πίνοι, ἐκώμαζέ τ᾽ ἀεὶ μετ᾽ αὐτοῦ, συνῆν τ᾽ ἐμφανῶς ὁπότε βουληθείη πανταχοῦ, φιλοτιμίαν τὴν ἐξουσίαν πρὸς τοὺς ὁρῶντας ποιούμενος. καὶ ὡς ἄλλους τε πολλοὺς ἐπὶ κῶμον ἔχων ἦλθεν αὐτὴν καὶ ὡς Χαβρίαν τὸν Αἰξωνέα, ὅτε ἐνίκα ἐπὶ Σωκρατίδου ἄρχοντος τὰ Πύθια τῷ τεθρίππῳ ὃ ἐπρίατο παρὰ τῶν παίδων τῶν Μίτυος τοῦ Ἀργείου, καὶ ἥκων ἐκ Δελφῶν εἱστία τὰ ἐπινίκια ἐπὶ Κωλιάδι. καὶ ἐκεῖ ἄλλοι τε πολλοὶ συνεγίγνοντο αὐτῇ μεθυούσῃ καθεύδοντος τοῦ Φρυνίωνος, καὶ οἱ διάκονοι οἱ Χαβρίου τράπεζαν παραθέμενοι.
[33] When he came back here, bringing her with him, he treated her without decency or restraint, taking her everywhere with him to dinners where there was drinking and making her a partner in his revels; and he had intercourse with her openly whenever and wherever he wished, making his privilege a display to the onlookers. He took her to many houses to gay parties and among them to that of Chabrias of Aexonê, when, in the archonship of Socratidas, he was victor at the Pythian games with the four-horse chariot which he had bought from the sons of Mitys, the Argive, and returning from Delphi he gave a feast at Colias, to celebrate his victory, and in that place many had intercourse with her when she was drunk, while Phrynion was asleep, among them even the serving-men of Chabrias.
[34] καὶ ὅτι ταῦτ᾽ ἀληθῆ λέγω, τοὺς ὁρῶντας ὑμῖν καὶ παρόντας μάρτυρας παρέξομαι. καί μοι κάλει Χιωνίδην Ξυπεταιόνα καὶ Εὐθετίωνα Κυδαθηναιᾶ.”Μαρτυρία
Χιωνίδης Ξυπεταιών, Εὐθετίων Κυδαθηναιεὺς μαρτυροῦσι κληθῆναι ὑπὸ Χαβρίου ἐπὶ δεῖπνον, ὅτε τὰ ἐπινίκια εἱστία Χαβρίας τῆς νίκης τοῦ ἅρματος, καὶ ἑστιᾶσθαι ἐπὶ Κωλιάδι, καὶ εἰδέναι Φρυνίωνα παρόντα ἐν τῷ δείπνῳ τούτῳ ἔχοντα Νέαιραν τὴν
νυνὶ ἀγωνιζομένην, καὶ καθεύδειν σφᾶς αὐτοὺς καὶ Φρυνίωνα καὶ Νέαιραν, καὶ αἰσθάνεσθαι αὐτοὶ ἀνισταμένους τῆς νυκτὸς πρὸς Νέαιραν ἄλλους τε καὶ τῶν διακόνων τινάς, οἳ ἦσαν Χαβρίου οἰκέται.”
[34] To prove that these statements of mine are true, I will bring before you as witnesses those who were present and saw for themselves.
Please call Chionides of Xypetê and Euthetion of Cydathenaeum.”Depositions
Chionides of Xypetê and Euthetion of Cydathenaeum depose that they were invited to dinner by Chabrias, when he celebrated with a banquet his victory in the chariot race, and that the banquet was held at Colias; and that they know that Phrynion was present at the banquet, having with him Neaera, the present defendant; that they themselves lay down to sleep, as did Phrynion and Neaera, and that they observed that men got up in the night to go in to Neaera, among them some of the serving-men who were household slaves of Chabrias.”
[35] ἐπειδὴ τοίνυν ἀσελγῶς προὐπηλακίζετο ὑπὸ τοῦ Φρυνίωνος καὶ οὐχ ὡς ᾤετο ἠγαπᾶτο, οὐδ᾽ ὑπηρέτει αὐτῇ ἃ ἐβούλετο, συσκευασαμένη αὐτοῦ τὰ ἐκ τῆς οἰκίας καὶ ὅσα ἦν αὐτῇ ὑπ᾽ ἐκείνου περὶ τὸ σῶμα κατεσκευασμένα ἱμάτια καὶ χρυσία, καὶ θεραπαίνας δύο, Θρᾷτταν καὶ Κοκκαλίνην, ἀποδιδράσκει εἰς Μέγαρα. ἦν δὲ ὁ χρόνος οὗτος ᾧ Ἀστεῖος μὲν ἦν ἄρχων Ἀθήνησιν, ὁ καιρὸς δ᾽ ἐν ᾧ ἐπολεμεῖθ᾽ ὑμεῖς πρὸς Λακεδαιμονίους τὸν ὕστερον πόλεμον.