Neaira's work as a prostitute started before she reached puberty. She is twice described by Apollodorus as having sex for money before she came of age, though possibly due to her age he implies that she was not yet a hetaera. During this time, the orator Lysias was a prominent guest in Nikarete's brothel and a regular customer of Metaneira, another of Nikarete's girls. In order to reward her for her services, he arranged for her to be initiated into the Eleusinian Mysteries, and funded the journey. Neaira was at this time about twelve or thirteen, and Nikarete accompanied them. Neaira visited Athens again for the Great Panathenaea of 378, this time accompanying Simus of Thessaly, a young aristocrat.