de a tool to insult Pericles. She was accused by some as having heavy political influence over Pericles. Despite some negative accusations, Aspasia is described as, a beautiful, independent, brilliantly witty young woman capable of holding her own in conversation with the best minds in Greece and of discussing and illuminating any kind of question with her husband. The wives in Athens were reduced to the title women and rarely had recorded names as proof of Athenian citizenship. When sons were born, their names were recorded with their fathers and their grandfathers name as documentation of their Athenian citizenship. The daughters/mothers names were insignificant. This was not the case for hetairai, they were widely known by their first name, although some of their names were their professional titles often created by themselves. However, male clients referred to them by their first names, a formality not typically extended to ones wife.Prostitutes are the only women in Athens who could control large sums of money. Even a select few were so successful they were able to make donations. If one was a hetairai, she was in the most lucrative business for most people, especially any woman. hetairai became the life-long mistresses of wealthy citizens. Herodotus wrote the first story about a woman, Rhodopis, who was credited with funding the building of a pyramid, and also made expensive donations to Delphi.Aspasia, although favored by Pericles, was a subject of controversy for Athenian citizens. She was not a citizen herself but managed to win the preference of the political leader of all the Athenian Empire. Percales, divorced his wife-a rich and noble lady-and took Asperse as his mistress. The citizens of Athens did not approve of this event on the whole, and accused her of interfering with political affairs. This is a bold accusation because politics was something that women were not supposed to have anything to do with. P...
