Aspasia
(c.470-410 BC)

Born in Miletus (today's Turkey) Aspasia was the mistress of Pericles. She was said to be very beautiful, intelligent, well spoken and to have had political influence.
When Pericles divorced his first wife, the couple made their home a gathering place for intellectual and distinguished people in Athens, amongst them Socrates.
Aspasia was also hated, since she was believe to exercise great influence over Pericles, and to be responsible for the revolt of Samos (440 BC) against Athens and the Peloponnesian War (431-404 BC).
She was widely satirized and was accused of impiety by the comic poet Hermippus, but was successfully defended by Pericles. The couples' son obtained Athenian citizenship when Pericles two sons from his first marriage died. After his death Aspasia married the democrat Lysides and had another son.