Trying Neaira: The True Story of a Courtesan's Scandalous Life in Ancient Greece by Debra Hamel
Reviewed by Patricia Selinger, Preservation Librarian
Neaira was a woman living in Athens around 343 BC who had a lawsuit brought against her for living in a marriage relationship with an Athenian citizen. Neaira was a "foreigner" since she grew up in Corinth, which meant that she was Greek but not an Athenian. Athenians jealously guarded their kinship and laws against the influence of such foreigners. The author uses the trial to explore the status of women, Ancient Greece's social strata, Athens' litigious society and its jury system, ancient speechwriting, and how a long-standing personal feud between two men in Neaira's life was fought out in the courts. Mystery, intrigue, lascivious behavior, sensational speeches, and controlled anger among the real-life characters make this an interesting study of ancient Greek history and people.