[120] πρὸς δὴ τὴν ἀναίδειαν αὐτοῦ τοῦ λόγου καὶ τὴν παρασκευὴν τῆς ἀπολογίας καὶ τῶν μαρτυρεῖν αὐτῷ παρεσκευασμένων πρόκλησιν αὐτὸν προὐκαλεσάμην ἀκριβῆ καὶ δικαίαν, δι᾽ ἧς ἐξῆν ὑμῖν πάντα τἀληθῆ εἰδέναι, παραδοῦναι τὰς θεραπαίνας τὰς Νεαίρᾳ τότε προσκαρτερούσας ὅτ᾽ ἦλθεν ὡς Στέφανον ἐκ Μεγάρων, Θρᾷτταν καὶ Κοκκαλίνην, καὶ ἃς ὕστερον παρὰ τούτῳ οὖσα ἐκτήσατο, Ξεννίδα καὶ Δροσίδα·

[121] αἳ ἴσασιν ἀκριβῶς Πρόξενόν τε τὸν τελευτήσαντα καὶ Ἀρίστωνα τὸν νῦν ὄντα καὶ Ἀντιδωρίδην τὸν σταδιοδρομοῦντα καὶ Φανὼ τὴν Στρυβήλην καλουμένην, ἣ Θεογένει τῷ βασιλεύσαντι συνῴκησεν, Νεαίρας ὄντας. καὶ ἐὰν φαίνηται ἐκ τῆς βασάνου γήμας Στέφανος οὑτοσὶ ἀστὴν γυναῖκα καὶ ὄντες αὐτῷ οἱ παῖδες οὗτοι ἐξ ἑτέρας γυναικὸς ἀστῆς καὶ μὴ Νεαίρας, ἤθελον ἀφίστασθαι τοῦ ἀγῶνος καὶ μὴ εἰσιέναι τὴν γραφὴν ταύτην.

[122] τὸ γὰρ συνοικεῖν τοῦτ᾽ ἔστιν, ὃς ἂν παιδοποιῆται καὶ εἰσάγῃ εἴς τε τοὺς φράτερας καὶ δημότας τοὺς υἱεῖς, καὶ τὰς θυγατέρας ἐκδιδῷ ὡς αὑτοῦ οὔσας τοῖς ἀνδράσιν. τὰς μὲν γὰρ ἑταίρας ἡδονῆς ἕνεκ᾽ ἔχομεν, τὰς δὲ παλλακὰς τῆς καθ᾽ ἡμέραν θεραπείας τοῦ σώματος, τὰς δὲ γυναῖκας τοῦ παιδοποιεῖσθαι γνησίως καὶ τῶν ἔνδον φύλακα πιστὴν ἔχειν. ὥστ᾽ εἰ πρότερον ἔγημεν γυναῖκα ἀστὴν καὶ εἰσὶν οὗτοι οἱ παῖδες ἐξ ἐκείνης καὶ μὴ Νεαίρας, ἐξῆν αὐτῷ ἐκ τῆς ἀκριβεστάτης μαρτυρίας ἐπιδεῖξαι, παραδόντι τὰς θεραπαίνας ταύτας.

    In anticipation of Stephanos’ defense, Apollodoros challenged him to hand over Neaira’s female slaves, to attest that Stephanos’ alleged children were Neaira’s rather than those of a citizen wife (as Stephanos claimed). Apollodoros then explains the difference between prostitutes, concubines, and wives.

    120

    πρός: “against,” “in reply to”

    ατ παρεσκευασμένων: “suborned by him.” In a legal context παρασκευάζω can mean “to procure persons as witnesses, partisans, etc., so as to obtain a verdict by fraud or force” (LSJ B.I.2).

    πρόκλησιν: for challenges, see §60. This is a πρόκλησις εἰς βάσανον. If a litigant wanted to introduce the evidence of slaves (his own or his opponents) into court, he issued a challenge either offering his own slaves or requesting his opponents’ slaves for interrogation under torture (βάσανος). The other party could accept or reject the challenge, or make a counter-challenge offering different slaves or different conditions. When the two parties reached an agreement, the slave was interrogated in the owner’s presence by the litigant who was not the owner. However, although we have evidence for people making challenges, there is no evidence for it actually being carried out. As such, many scholars conclude that it rarely, if ever, occurred in practice.

    προκαλεσάμην: this is Rennie’s emendation; Dilts 2009 prints the MSS reading προεκαλεσάμην, with no change in meaning.

    παραδοναι: “to hand over (for interrogation under torture)” (LSJ παραδίδωμι I.A.3)

    προσκαρτερούσας < προσκαρτερέω

    Θρτταν κα Κοκκαλίνην: see §35.

    121

    τν Στρυβήλην καλουμένηνDilts 2009 brackets this phrase as an interpolation, following Kapparis 1999.

    βασανόυ: interrogation under torture; see §120. Slaves’ testimony could be given only under torture.

    122

    τς μν γρ ταίραςχειν: this is a well-known passage, often studied by scholars interested in sex and gender in ancient Greece. It should be noted that these definitions are rhetorical, not technical or legal.

    τν νδον: “of the things within,” i.e., the household

    στ’: at the beginning of a sentence ὥστε marks a strong conclusion: “and so...”

    παραδόντι: “by delivering up for interrogation torture”

    120

    ναίδεια -ας : shamelessness, impudence, effrontery

    παρασκευή –ῆς : preparation

    πολογία: a speech in defence, defence

    μαρτυρέω μαρτυρήσω μαρτύρησα μεμαρτύρηκα μεμαρτύρημαι μαρτυρήθην: to witness to

    πρόκλησις: a calling forth, challenging, challenge

    προκαλέω προκαλσω/προκαλ προεκάλεσα προκκληκα προκκλημαι προεκλθην: to challenge; (law-term) make an offer or challenge to the opponent for bringing about a decision, e.g. for submitting the case to arbitration, letting slaves be put to the torture, etc.

    ξεστι: it is possible

    θεράπαινα –ης : a female servant, slavewoman

    προσκαρτερέω: to remain in attendance with (+ dat.)

    Θρττα: Thratta

    Κοκκαλίνη: Kokkalina

    στερον: behind; later

    Ξεννίς: Xennis

    Δροσίς: Drosis

    121

    Πρόξενος: Proxenos

    ρίστων –ωνος : Ariston

    ντιδωρίδης: Antidorides

    σταδιοδρομέω: to run in the stadium

    Φανώ: Phano

    Στρυβήλη: Strybele

    Θεογένης: Theogenes

    βασιλεύω βασιλεύσω βασίλευσα βεβασίλευκα βεβασίλευμαι βασιλήθην: to be king; serve as king archon

    συνοικω συνοικήσω συνκησα συνκηκα συνκημαι συνκήθην: to dwell together, live together

    βάσανος –ου : touchstone; interrogation by torture

    γαμέω γαμ γημα γεγάμηκα γεγάμημαι –––: marry

    στή –ς : fem. of ἀστός

    φίστημι ποστήσω πέστησα (or πέστην) πέστηκα πέσταμαι πεστάθην: remove; revolt/cause to revolt; abandon

    εσειμι: to go into

    122

    παιδοποιέω: to beget children

    εσάγω εσάξω εσήγαγον εσαγήοχα εσγμαι εσήχθην: to lead in, bring before

    φράτηρ: a member of the same phratry, clansman

    δημότης –ου : member of a deme or of the same deme

    κδίδωμι κδώσω ξέδωκε κδέδωκα κδέδομαι ξεδόθην: to give in marriage

    ταίρα –ας : comrade (female), companion (female), courtesan

    παλλακή –ς : concubine, mistress

    θεραπεία (Ion. θεραπηΐη) : a waiting on, service

    γνήσιος -α -ον: (born in wedlock); genuine, legitimate

    φύλαξ –ακος : watchman, guardian

    πιστός –ή –όν: faithful, trustworthy, true

    μαρτυρία –ας : witness, testimony, evidence

    πιδείκνυμι πιδείξω πέδειξα πιδέδειχα πιδέδειγμαι πεδείχθην: display, exhibit, show, prove

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    Suggested Citation

    Deborah Kamen, Pseudo-Demosthenes: Against Neaira. Carlisle, Pennsylvania: Dickinson College Commentaries, 2018. ISBN: 978-1-947822-10-8.https://dcc.dickinson.edu/against-neaira/120-122