Aspasia (460-401 BC) is a philosopher of antiquity who is known for her teachings on dialectics and
rhetoric. She was born in Miletus, which was one of the two important port cities of the Aegean Sea
in the Antiquity, and later emigrated to the other port city, Athens, when she turned 20. We don’t
know the reason why, or have no knowledge of her family. However, it is believed that she came
from a wealthy family since she was highly educated and turned her house in Athens into an
academy where philosophical lectures were given. Many dignitary Athenian women as well as men
attended her academy, which was against the tradition as the intellectual production was allocated
to men and non-foreigners. She hosted many artists, statesmen and philosophers, including Socrates,
at her house. Aspasia had strong influence over Socrates with her high level of knowledge on
philosophy and rhetoric. What is known today as “Socratic method” is confirmed to be her work
instead. Pericles, the famous statesman of the time, repealed the ban on marrying foreigners that he
himself had introduced in order to marry her. The dialogues reveal that she wrote up most of
Pericles’ speeches and helped him rehearse. She was found deviant and disobedient for her times
and put on trial several times with accusations of atheism and prostitution. Although she was
acquitted with the help of Pericles, her name was derogated and she was referred to as a prostitute
even after her times.
