List of characters (in order of appearance)
Theomnestos: The man who brought the suit against Neaira, and who delivers the speech’s introduction. He was both the brother-in-law and son-in-law of Apollodoros (see below, and stemma).
Neaira: The defendant in this suit, accused of posing as the citizen wife of Stephanos (see below) and passing off her children as Athenian citizens. According to Apollodoros, she is a freed-slave prostitute from Corinth.
Stephanos: A personal enemy of Apollodoros (also, incidentally, the cousin of Theomnestos). He met Neaira when she was living and working in Megara and became her lover. While this suit is technically against Neaira, it is in effect also against him.
Apollodoros: The likely author of Against Neaira; he delivers the bulk of the speech. Apollodoros was the son of a freed slave-turned-citizen named Pasion. He was very litigious, especially against his stepfather Phormion (who had originally been Pasion’s slave).
Nikarete: A freed-slave madam in Corinth who raises slave girls (including Neaira) to be prostitutes.
Timanoridas and Eukrates: Neaira’s clients in Corinth who purchase her from Nikarete and eventually offer her her freedom.
Phrynion: An Athenian client of Neaira’s who helps her to purchase her freedom. Neaira leaves him and moves to Megara after he treats her abusively.
Phano: Also known as Strybele; according to Apollodoros, she is Neaira’s daughter, but Stephanos alleges that she is his daughter with a previous wife.
Phrastor: An Athenian man to whom Stephanos marries Phano; when Phrastor discovers that she is actually Neaira’s daughter, he divorces her.
Epainetos: A man from Andros who is a former client of Neiara’s. Stephanos entraps and tries to blackmail him for sleeping with Phano.
Theogenes: Phano’s second husband; like Phrastor, when he discovers that Phano is actually Neaira’s daughter, he divorces her.