been the wife of Hipponikus, by whom she became the
mother of Kallias the rich. By her Perikles had two sons, Xanthippus and
Paralus; but afterwards, as they could not live comfortably together,
he, at his wife's wish, handed her over to another husband, and himself
lived with Aspasia, of whom he was passionately fond. It is said that he
never went in or out of his house during the day without kissing her. In
the comedies of the time, she is spoken of as the new Omphale and as
Deianeira, and sometimes as Hera (Juno). Kratinus plainly speaks of her
as a harlot in the following lines:

"To him Vice bore a Juno new,
Aspasia, shameless harlot."

He is thought to have had a bastard son by her, who is mentioned by
Eupolis in his play of 'The Townships,' where Perikles is introduced,
asking, "Lives then my son?" to which Myronides answers:

"He lives, and long had claimed a manly name,
But that he feared his harlot mother's shame."

It is said that Aspasia became so illustrious and well known that the
Cyrus who fought with his brother for the empire of Persia, called his
favourite concubine Aspasia, though she had before been named Milto. She
was a Phokaean by birth, the daughter of Hermotimus. After the death of
Cyrus in battle, she was taken into the king's harem, and acquired great
influence with him. These particulars about Aspasia occurred to my
memory, and I thought that perhaps I might please my readers by relating
them.

XXV. Perikles is accused of going to war with Samos to save the
Milesians, at the request of Aspasia. These States were at war about the
possession of the city of Priene, and the Samians, who were victorious,
would not lay down their arms and allow the Athenians to settle the
matter by arbitration, as they ordered them to do. For this reason
Perikles proceeded to Samos, put an end to the oligarchical form of
government there, and sent fifty hostages and as many children to
Lemnos, to ensure the good behaviour of the leading men. It is said that
each of these hostages offered him a talent for his own freedom, and
that much more was offered by that party which was loth to see a
democracy established in the city. Besides all this, Pissuthnes the
Persian, who had a liking for the Samians, sent and offered him ten
thousand pieces of gold if he would spare the city. Perikles, however,
took none of these bribes, but dealt with Samos as he had previously
determined, and returned to Athens