Racquel Fox May 21, 2013 History 2 Aspasia of Miletus Aspasia (c.

470-400 BC)
I let all the hatred from the other women roll off my back and did not think much of it. They would call me a Hetaira and say terrible things about me. It was none of their business what I did when I wasnt working, and I knew that I wasnt a Hetaira. I wanted to live my life and do what I wanted; I wasnt going to let the Athenian women stop me from doing that. I was living a happy life and I wouldnt let myself get hurt because of these hateful women. I am known as the most intellectual woman in Athens. Although I grew up in Miletus, an Ionian Greek settlement on the western coast of Turkey, I lived in Athens for most of my life. My father wanted me to be an educated woman, because he believed that women should be as well educated as men. I was a student at a great school that taught me well, and I acquired all of my knowledge from there. When I was old enough, I made my journey east to the beautiful Greek city Athens. In Athens, I met Pericles, who was the most prominent and influential Greek statesman and general of Athens during the Golden Age. Pericles made a big influence on my life and I spent most of my life with him as his girlfriend. The Athenian women were all supposed to play the roles of a woman and cook and clean (if they did not have slaves), but Pericles treated me as his equal. Other Athenian women spread rumors about me, but they werent true. They would call me a Greek geisha and say that I charmed men and that I would never be wife material, but really I was just more free than them. When Pericles divorced his first wife, we started to live together. Athenian citizens who married foreigners were subjected to terrible penalties, so Pericles and I never married. However, Pericles and I did live together like we were married. Later, I gave birth to a son, also named Pericles, but since I wasnt an Athenian citizen, neither was my son. After he was born, the women started talking

again and this time they were saying that my son was illegitimate and that he could never be Pericless heir, which was true. When the plague of Athens occurred, both of Pericless sons from his earlier marriage died, leaving my son as the last of Pericless children. It was a problem because he wouldnt be able to become an heir. The Athenians knew that Pericless other children had died so they made my son an Athenian citizen and a legitimate heir. Soon after my son was made a citizen, Pericles died from the plague. At Pericless funeral, there were rumors that I wrote some of his speeches. Because I had such a good education, most people believed it. Even Socrates respected my wisdom. Some thought that Plato was impressed by my intelligence and based his character Diotima in the Symposium on me. I hope that I will be remembered as a smart woman, because thats how I saw myself. Aspasia died at around 410-400 BC from natural causes.

Bibliography http://www.pbs.org/empires/thegreeks/htmlver/characters/f_aspasia.html http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aspasia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pericles

http://www.historywiz.com/historymakers/aspasia.htm http://www.livius.org/as-at/aspasia/aspasia.html
"Aspasia - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia." Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. N.p., n.d. Web. 3 June 2013. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aspasia>. "Aspasia of Miletus." Livius. Articles on Ancient History. N.p., n.d. Web. 3 June 2013. <http://www.livius.org/as-at/aspasia/aspasia.html>. Miletus, 450449 BC the revolts in, Erythrae were quelled, and Athens restored its rule over its allies.. "Pericles - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia." Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. N.p., n.d. Web. 3 June 2013.

"World History: Ancient History: Greece: Aspasia: First Woman of Athens: HistoryWiz." World History: Ancient History: Greece: Aspasia: First Woman of Athens: HistoryWiz. N.p., n.d. Web. 03 June 2013. "The Greeks: The Crucible of Civilization." PBS. PBS, n.d. Web. 03 June 2013.