Pericles and Aspasia: A Story of Ancient Greece
Yvonne Korshak
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Pericles and Aspasia is Yvonne Korshak's historical novel set in ancient Greece, following the relationship between Pericles, the leading statesman of Athens, and Aspasia, a brilliant and unconventional woman who becomes his companion and intellectual partner. The novel explores their love against the backdrop of Athenian politics and the Peloponnesian War, and portrays Aspasia as a woman of remarkable intellect and influence.
- 1Pericles is the most powerful man in Athens, shaping the city's culture and politics.
- 2Aspasia is a remarkably intelligent woman who becomes Pericles' companion and intellectual partner.
- 3Their relationship is scandalous because Aspasia is not Athenian and because she is not the passive wife tradition demands.
- 4Aspasia participates in philosophical discussions and political life alongside Pericles, an extraordinary position for a woman.
- 5The novel traces their relationship against the backdrop of Athenian cultural flourishing and the impending Peloponnesian War.
- 6Aspasia is portrayed as a woman of remarkable intellect who influences Pericles and helps shape Athenian policy and culture.
Key ideas
Women's intellectual capacity
Korshak portrays Aspasia as a woman of extraordinary intellect and influence, suggesting that women's intellectual contributions have been erased from history.
Love and partnership
Pericles and Aspasia's relationship is portrayed as a genuine partnership based on intellectual and emotional equality.
The unconventional woman
Aspasia refuses to conform to the expectations placed on women, pursuing intellectual engagement and influence instead.
The erasure of women from history
Korshak's portrayal of Aspasia suggests that history has forgotten or deliberately erased the contributions of women like her.
Ancient Athens at its height
The novel is set during Athens' cultural golden age, and Korshak portrays Aspasia as a contributor to that flourishing.
The personal and the political
The novel explores how Pericles and Aspasia's personal relationship is inseparable from Athenian politics and culture.
Who is it for?
Readers interested in ancient Greek history and in historical novels that recover women's voices will find this engaging. It suits anyone interested in learning about Aspasia, a historical figure known only through male sources. Readers who appreciate character-driven historical fiction will find Korshak's portrayal compelling.
Full summary
Pericles is at the height of his power in Athens, shaping the city's culture and leading its politics. He is unmarried and focuses his attention on the state.
Aspasia arrives in Athens from Miletus, a brilliant woman educated in rhetoric and philosophy, disciplines closed to Greek women.
Pericles meets Aspasia and is captivated by her intellect and her unconventional ideas. They form a relationship that becomes a genuine partnership.
Aspasia becomes known in Athenian political circles, and she participates in philosophical discussions and intellectual life alongside Pericles.
Their relationship is scandalous because it violates Greek customs about women's proper roles and because Aspasia is not Athenian.
Aspasia influences Pericles and through him influences Athenian policy and culture. She becomes a significant figure in Athenian intellectual life.
The novel traces their relationship against the backdrop of the cultural flourishing of Athens and the impending Peloponnesian War.
Korshak ends the novel with Pericles' death and Aspasia's eventual exile, suggesting the inevitable tragedy of their unconventional love and partnership.
