[39] καὶ εἰσάγει αὐτὴν καὶ τὰ παιδία εἰς τὸ οἰκίδιον ὃ ἦν αὐτῷ παρὰ τὸν ψιθυριστὴν Ἑρμῆν, μεταξὺ τῆς Δωροθέου τοῦ Ἐλευσινίου οἰκίας καὶ τῆς Κλεινομάχου, ἣν νυνὶ Σπίνθαρος παρ᾽ αὐτοῦ ἐώνηται ἑπτὰ μνῶν. ὥστε ἡ μὲν ὑπάρχουσα Στεφάνῳ οὐσία αὕτη ἦν καὶ ἄλλο οὐδέν· δυοῖν δ᾽ ἕνεκα ἦλθεν ἔχων αὐτήν, ὡς ἐξ ἀτελείας τε ἕξων καλὴν ἑταίραν, καὶ τὰ ἐπιτήδεια ταύτην ἐργασομένην καὶ θρέψουσαν τὴν οἰκίαν· οὐ γὰρ ἦν αὐτῷ ἄλλη πρόσοδος, ὅ τι μὴ συκοφαντήσας τι λάβοι.

[40] πυθόμενος δὲ ὁ Φρυνίων ἐπιδημοῦσαν αὐτὴν καὶ οὖσαν παρὰ τούτῳ, παραλαβὼν νεανίσκους μεθ᾽ ἑαυτοῦ καὶ ἐλθὼν ἐπὶ τὴν οἰκίαν τὴν τοῦ Στεφάνου ἦγεν αὐτήν. ἀφαιρουμένου δὲ τοῦ Στεφάνου κατὰ τὸν νόμον εἰς ἐλευθερίαν, κατηγγύησεν αὐτὴν πρὸς τῷ πολεμάρχῳ. καὶ ὡς ἀληθῆ λέγω, τούτων αὐτὸν μάρτυρα ὑμῖν τὸν τότε πολέμαρχον παρέξομαι. καί μοι κάλει Αἰήτην Κειριάδην. “Μαρτυρία

Αἰήτης Κειριάδης μαρτυρεῖ πολεμαρχοῦντος αὑτοῦ κατεγγυηθῆναι Νέαιραν τὴν νυνὶ ἀγωνιζομένην ὑπὸ Φρυνίωνος τοῦ Δημοχάρους ἀδελφοῦ, καὶ ἐγγυητὰς γενέσθαι Νεαίρας Στέφανον Ἐροιάδην, Γλαυκέτην Κηφισιέα, Ἀριστοκράτην Φαληρέα.”

[41] διεγγυηθεῖσα δ᾽ ὑπὸ Στεφάνου καὶ οὖσα παρὰ τούτῳ τὴν μὲν αὐτὴν ἐργασίαν οὐδὲν ἧττον ἢ πρότερον ἠργάζετο, τοὺς δὲ μισθοὺς μείζους ἐπράττετο τοὺς βουλομένους αὐτῇ πλησιάζειν, ὡς ἐπὶ προσχήματος ἤδη τινὸς οὖσα καὶ ἀνδρὶ συνοικοῦσα. συνεσυκοφάντει δὲ καὶ οὗτος, εἴ τινα ξένον ἀγνῶτα πλούσιον λάβοι ἐραστὴν αὐτῆς, ὡς μοιχὸν ἐπ᾽ αὐτῇ ἔνδον ἀποκλείων καὶ ἀργύριον πραττόμενος πολύ, εἰκότως·

    When Phrynion learned that Neaira was in Athens, he tried to drag her away as his slave, to which Stephanos responded by asserting her freedom. Neaira continued to work as a prostitute, now charging higher fees, and Stephanos blackmailed foreigners he caught having sex with her.

    39

    ρμν: “[the statue of] the whispering Hermes.” It isn’t known where this was located, nor what “whispering Hermes” refers to.

    ν νυν Σπίνθαρος: as Carey points out (1992: 106; see also Kapparis 1999: 247), whose house is being referred to here is grammatically ambiguous, but the context suggests that it refers back to Stephanos’ οἰκίδιον, despite the change in gender.

    πτ μνν: attested home prices in fourth-century Athens range from 3 to 120 mnae (Kapparis 1999: 247). Apollodoros is trying to make the point that Stephanos didn’t have a lot of money, which is what drove him to bring frivolous lawsuits. We don’t know, however, whether this was Stephanos’ only property, or one of several.

    ώνηται < ὠνέομαι

    δυον δ νεκα: “for two reasons”

    ξ τελείας: i.e., “without payment”

    ς...ξων...καί...ταύτην ργασομένην κα θρέψουσαν: “so that he could have...and she would earn...and maintain.” Future participles expressing purpose.

    ργασομένην < ἐργάζομαι, here, “to earn by working” (LSJ II.4)

    τι μή: “except, unless” (S. 2765; see similarly G. 656)

    συκοφαντήσας: a sycophant (συκοφάντης) is someone who brings malicious prosecutions solely for his own financial gain; the term is also often used for blackmailers.

    40

    πυθόμενος < πυνθάνομαι

    πιδημοσαν: “was visiting (Athens)”

    τούτ: i.e., Stephanos

    γεν: “attempted to lead her away,” on the grounds that she was his slave. Conative imperfect (G. 459.a, S. 1895).

    φαιρουμένου...ες λευθερίαν: If a free person (A) was unjustly claimed by another (B) as their slave, a third party (C) could act as A’s vindicator, carrying them away to freedom. This was called an ἀφαίρεσις (or ἐξαίρεσις) εἰς ἐλευθερίανC would then furnish sureties (or guarantors) before the polemarch for the appearance of A in court. In turn, B could then bring a δίκη ἀφαιρέσεως (or ἐξαιρέσεως), accusing C of illegally taking away his property.

    κατηγγύησε < κατεγγυάω: that is, Phrynion compelled Neaira to post bail.

    41

    διεγγυηθεσα < διεγγυάω

    ργασίαν: cognate accusative

    πράττετο: see §19

    ς π προσχήματος: “on the grounds,” “under the pretext” + ptc.

    τινς οσα: “being of someone,” i.e., “being someone’s wife”

    συνεσυοφάντει: the συν- takes an implied “her” (αὐτῇ).

    γντα < ἀγνώς: i.e., unknown to them and so unaware of who Neaira actually was. Patteson 1978: 75-76 points out that the advantage of trapping a foreigner is that they wouldn’t know their rights under Athenian law.

    μοιχόν: although this word is often translated as “adulterer,” μοιχεία is not identical to our concept of adultery. It refers to an illicit sexual act, essentially any sexual act between two citizens outside the bounds of marriage.

    πραττόμενος: “exacting as payment,” i.e., extorting; see LSJ πράσσω VI.

    εκότως: “and rightly so, naturally.” Ironic. The idea is that their blackmailing scheme was “reasonable” because (as is about to be explained) they needed the money.

    39

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

    παιδίον –ου τό: a child

    οκίδιον –ου τό: a small house, cabin

    ψιθυριστής: a whisperer; a slanderer

    ρμς –ο : Hermes, herm

    Δωρόθεος: Dorotheos

    λευσίνιος: Eleusinian, from Eleusis

    Κλεινόμαχος: Kleinomachos

    νέομαι (imperf. ωνούμην) νήσομαι πριάμην — ώνημαι ωνήθην: buy

    μν μνς : mna=100 drachmas=1/60 talent

    Στέφανος: Stephanos

    τέλεια: exemption from payment

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

    πιτήδειος –α –ον: suitable, useful, (subst.) τὰ ἐπιτήδεια, necessaries, provisions; friendly, (subst.) ὁ ἐπιτήδειος, a close friend

    πρόσοδος –ου : income

    συκοφαντέω συκοφαντήσω συκοφάντησα σεσυκοφάντηκα σεσυκοφάντημαι συκοφαντήθην: to accuse falsely, slander, calumniate

    40

    Φρυνίων: Phrynion

    πιδημέω πιδημήσω πεδήμησα πιδεδήμηκα: come to stay in a city, visit

    παραλαμβάνω παραλήψομαι παρέλαβον παρείληφα παρείλημμαι παρελήφθην: to take, capture; take with oneself, associate to oneself + acc. 

    νεάνισκος: youth, young man

    λευθερία –ας : freedom

    κατεγγυάω: to make [someone] give security, to make responsible

    πολέμαρχος: commander in war, general, leader; at Athens, the third archon

    Αήτης: Aietes

    Κειριάδης: of the deme Keiriadai

    μαρτυρία –ας : witness, testimony, evidence

    μαρτυρέω μαρτυρήσω μαρτύρησα μεμαρτύρηκα μεμαρτύρημαι μαρτυρήθην: witness to

    πολεμαρχέω: to be Polemarch

    γωνίζομαι γωνισιομαι γωνισάμην ––– γώνισμαι γωνίσθην: to contend for a prize; to contend in court; (pass.) to be on trial

    Δημοχαρής: Demochares

    γγυητής –ο : one who gives security, a surety

    ροιάδης: of the deme Eroiadai

    Γλαυκέτης: Glauketes

    Κηφισιεύς: of the deme Kephisia

    ριστοκράτης: Aristokrates

    Φαληρεύς: Phalerian, inhabiting Phaleron

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    διεγγυάω: to give security for; (in passive) to be bailed, be vouched for

    ργασία : work, daily labour, business

    μισθός –ο : wages, pay, hire

    πλησιάζω πλησιάσω πλησίασα πεπλησίακα ––– πλησιάσθην: to draw near; have sex with + dat.

    πρόσχημα –ατος τό: aspect; exterior appearance; dress; pretext

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

    συσσυκοφαντέω: join in giving false information

    γνώς –τος: unknown, ignorant

    πλούσιος –α –ον: wealthy, opulent

    ραστής –ο : a lover

    μοιχός –ο : an adulterer, paramour, debaucher

    ποκλείω/ποκλω ποκλείσω/ποκλσω πέκλεισα/πέκλσα ποκέκλεικα/ποκέκλκα ποκέκλειμαι/ποκέκλεισμαι/ποκέκλμαι πεκλείσθην/πεκλσθην: to shut off from; shut in, confine

    εκότως: reasonably, appropriately; (at the end of a sentence) and rightly so, naturally

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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/39-41