[23] ὡς οὖν ἀληθῆ λέγω, ὅτι Νικαρέτης ἦν καὶ ἠκολούθει ἐκείνῃ καὶ ἐμισθάρνει τῷ βουλομένῳ ἀναλίσκειν, τούτων ὑμῖν αὐτὸν τὸν Φιλόστρατον μάρτυρα καλῶ. “Μαρτυρία

Φιλόστρατος Διονυσίου Κολωνῆθεν μαρτυρεῖ εἰδέναι Νέαιραν Νικαρέτης οὖσαν, ἧσπερ καὶ Μετάνειρα ἐγένετο, καὶ κατάγεσθαι παρ᾽ αὑτῷ, ὅτε εἰς τὰ μυστήρια ἐπεδήμησαν ἐν Κορίνθῳ οἰκοῦσαι· καταστῆσαι δὲ αὐτὰς ὡς αὑτὸν Λυσίαν τὸν Κεφάλου, φίλον ὄντα ἑαυτῷ καὶ ἐπιτήδειον.”

[24] πάλιν τοίνυν, ὦ ἄνδρες Ἀθηναῖοι, μετὰ ταῦτα Σῖμος ὁ Θετταλὸς ἔχων Νέαιραν ταυτηνὶ ἀφικνεῖται δεῦρο εἰς τὰ Παναθήναια τὰ μεγάλα. συνηκολούθει δὲ καὶ ἡ Νικαρέτη αὐτῇ, κατήγοντο δὲ παρὰ Κτησίππῳ τῷ Γλαυκωνίδου τῷ Κυδαντίδῃ, καὶ συνέπινεν καὶ συνεδείπνει ἐναντίον πολλῶν Νέαιρα αὑτηὶ ὡς ἂν ἑταίρα οὖσα. καὶ ὅτι ἀληθῆ λέγω, τούτων ὑμῖν τοὺς μάρτυρας καλῶ.

[25] καί μοι κάλει Εὐφίλητον Σίμωνος Αἰξωνέα καὶ Ἀριστόμαχον Κριτοδήμου Ἀλωπεκῆθεν. “Μάρτυρες

Εὐφίλητος Σίμωνος Αἰξωνεύς, Ἀριστόμαχος Κριτοδήμου Ἀλωπεκῆθεν, μαρτυροῦσιν εἰδέναι Σῖμον τὸν Θετταλὸν ἀφικόμενον Ἀθήναζε εἰς τὰ Παναθήναια τὰ μεγάλα, καὶ μετ᾽ αὐτοῦ Νικαρέτην καὶ Νέαιραν τὴν νυνὶ ἀγωνιζομένην· καὶ κατάγεσθαι αὐτοὺς παρὰ Κτησίππῳ τῷ Γλαυκωνίδου, καὶ συμπίνειν μετ᾽ αὐτῶν Νέαιραν ὡς ἑταίραν οὖσαν καὶ ἄλλων πολλῶν παρόντων καὶ συμπινόντων παρὰ Κτησίππῳ.”

[26] μετὰ ταῦτα τοίνυν ἐν τῇ Κορίνθῳ αὐτῆς ἐπιφανῶς ἐργαζομένης καὶ οὔσης λαμπρᾶς ἄλλοι τε ἐρασταὶ γίγνονται καὶ Ξενοκλείδης ὁ ποιητὴς καὶ Ἵππαρχος ὁ ὑποκριτής, καὶ εἶχον αὐτὴν μεμισθωμένοι. καὶ ὅτι ἀληθῆ λέγω, τοῦ μὲν Ξενοκλείδου οὐκ ἂν δυναίμην ὑμῖν μαρτυρίαν παρασχέσθαι· οὐ γὰρ ἐῶσιν αὐτὸν οἱ νόμοι μαρτυρεῖν· 

 

 

A man named Simos later brought Neaira back to Athens, where she drank and dined openly with men. Neaira in time became a famous prostitute in Corinth.

23

Μαρτυρία: in the fourth century BCE, witness testimony was read aloud by a clerk (rather than delivered directly by witness). The witness simply affirmed or denied that a given statement was true. Dilts 2009 brackets this testimony (following Westermann), considering it spurious.

Νικαρέτης: “(a slave) of Nikarete”

πεδήμησαν: “visited (Athens)”

ν Κορίνθῳ οκοσαι: “dwelling in Corinth,” i.e., from their home in Corinth

καταστσαι: “set up,” “caused to dwell.” The subject is Λυσίαν.

ς ατν: “at his own (Philostratos’) house”

πίτηδειον: substantive, “a close friend” (LSJ ἐπιτήδειος II.2)

24

πάλιν τοίνυν: “again, furthermore,” introducing a new element in the narrative

Παναθήναια τὰ μέγαλα: The Panathenaia was a yearly festival in Athens in honor of Athena; every four years the Great Panathenaia, a more elaborate version of the festival, was celebrated.

Κυδαντίδ: of the deme Kydantidai

ναντίον πολλν: “in the presence of many men”

ς ν ταίρα οσαDilts 2009, following Kapparis 1999, brackets the ἄν as spurious. As Kapparis 1999: 221 says: “ἄν after ὡς would imply that Neaira actually was not a courtesan. But the orator says ‘like a courtesan.’”

25

μοι: the ethical dative (G. 523a, S. 1486); translate as “please.”

ΜάρτυρεςDilts 2009 brackets this whole passage as spurious, following Westermann.

Αξιωνέα: of the deme Aixone

λωπεκθεν: from the deme Alopeke

γωνιζομένην: “on trial,” “in dispute” < ἀγωνίζομαι

λλων...συμπινόντων: genitive absolute, awkwardly placed at the end of the sentence. It makes better sense if understood before συμπίνειν…οὖσαν.

26

οσης λαμπρς: “being quite a celebrity”

λλοι τε...καί: “others, and especially”; ἄλλος often precedes the particular thing with which it is contrasted (S. 1273; see also LSJ II.6).

μεμισθωμένοι: pf. middle, “having taken out a lease,” implying a promise of regular payment

οὐ γρ ἐῶσιν ατν οἱ νόμοι μαρτυρεν: i.e., because he was disenfranchised (ἄτιμος), for reasons about to be explained

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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/ro/against-neaira/23-26