Aspasia will go down in history as one of the first truly liberated women, not just in Ancient Greece, but in the world. She was born into a wealthy family around 400 BC, in the lonian city of Miletus, which is a part of modern Turkey. As a child, Aspasia received an excellent education, unlike most girls of that era.
Aspasia’s family moved to Athens and settled there. Since she was not Athenian by birth, Aspasia was free of the legal restraints that bound other Athenian women. She became the wife of a famous Athenian named Pericles, and had a son who was also called Pericles.
Aspasia gained fame, as the leader of a highly independent group of women, who were beautiful, educated, accomplished entertainers. They even paid taxes like men did! Aspasia herself influenced not only her husband and her son, but also the course of Athenian politics. In fact, it is believed that she was responsible for a couple of wars like the Athenian attack on Samos, and the Archimedean War. So great was her power and influence that she has found mentioned in the works of the great writers of the time like Plato, Aristophanes, and Xenophon.