Neaera the Great: An Explication of One Woman’s Movement to Power

Preface

Though we are discussing ancient times, this paper is not traditional academic work. The subject (and I mean that in more ways than one) of my focus is a woman named Neaera who is placed on trial for proclaiming herself and her children as citizens of Athens, even though she is widely viewed as a prostitute of foreign birth. My central contention throughout this discussion is that she is a woman of extraordinary courage and to an incredible degree, takes control over her circumstances and makes powerful choices. In tune with this description, I choose to write in a style that accurately reflects the reverence that I hold for Neaera. Rather than an analytical exchange of observation, I intentionally take the tone of someone who is much like a boxing promoter. I place myself firmly in Neaera’s corner and instead of articulating her greatness through the shadowy form of a third person who remains academically objective and unattached, I take a direct stand for her as a praiseworthy historical figure. To this end, I write from the first person with the motive to reveal and uplift Neaera’s impressiveness and I adopt a general manner of speech atypical to academic language. Additionally, I use of myriad of persuasive methods that are relatively uncommon and I do so because, fundamentally, Neaera is an uncommon and atypical character. In light of this revelation, the least that I can do is to make sure that my form and content align as a means of writing a paper that is outside of the norm in order to honor a woman who consistently chose her own way. In other (more effective) words, Neaera rocks and I’m willing to rock out in order to make sure that she gets the props that she deserves.

Neaera the Great: An Explication of One Woman’s Movement to Power

Consider the possibility that how we listen to people creates the way life will be for them as well as for ourselves. Is this a radical statement? Perhaps. Many of us hold fast to the idea that we are the controllers of our own fate (myself included) and that, for instance, even if someone listened to us as if we were never going to amount to anything that would ever resemble success, we would eventually triumph in the end (especially against the odds stacked against us by would be detractors).