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Trying Neaira : The True Story of a Courtesan's Scandalous Life in Ancient Greece
Trying Neaira The True Story of a Courtesan's Scandalous Life in Ancient Greece Author:Debra Hamel Neaira grew up in a Corinthian brothel in the fourth century B.C., became a high-priced courtesan and a sex slave, then settled into a thirty-year relationship with Stephanos of Athens. But next she found herself in court, charged with transgressing Athens’s marriage laws. This book reconstructs the amazing facts of Neaira’s life and... more » trial, illuminating the social, legal, and cultural worlds of ancient Greece.
“Hamel’s treatment of this complicated story is outstanding . . . for its comprehensive [yet remarkably concise] presentation of the social and historical context of fourth-century Athens. ”—Ingrid D. Rowland, New Republic
“[Trying Neaira] is an extraordinary tale, with more than an echo of Arthur Golden’s Memoirs of a Geisha.”—Tom Holland, Daily Telegraph
“A marvelous account of a fascinating series of events in the life of a Greek woman of the fourth century B.C. Hamel tells the tale with clarity and verve and, along the way, she teaches the reader a vast amount about Athenian society in the most interesting and entertaining way.”—Donald Kagan, Yale University
“Charmingly written (and) nicely illustrated. . . .Hamel’s account is engaging, accessible to non-experts, and useful for courses on Athenian society.”—Choice
“As told by Debra Hamel, this true-life story offers an extraordinary window on a civilization that wasn’t half so rarefied in its interests or affections as we tend to assume.”—The Scotsman