Expert: Maria - 8/15/2005

Question
Hello Maria,
On an Internet forum I've come across a feminist who stated that prostitution was degrading to women as a whole- this might well apply to modern society given idiotic values taken from devoutly Christian times  and the Victorian period, where prostitutes were wrongfully despised and given low status.

However, I am well aware of many examples from history where prostitutes had an exalted position in society, even in respectable circles. For example, in 17th-18th century Europe there were numerous courtesans in open society such as Madame De Pompadour/Theodora(6th century)/Mata Hari etc. who, despite the low level of benefits given to women at the time, were able to exert considerable power and influence. Obviously, these are not great examples as there were few other ways to power for women at the time. What I would be interested in is if there were any ancient societies, with relatively low discrimination towards women, where (non-forced) prostitution was viewed with social approval.I seem to recall that the Babylonians had some sort of system, but can't be certain.
Thanks
Geoff Purcell

Answer
Hello Geoff,

Here's some information about prostitution in Babylon, Mesopotamia, ancient Greece and Rome.

So, in Mesopotamia there was a “sacred prostitution”.
In fact in ancient sources (i.e. the Greek historians Herodotus and  Thucydides) we read that there was a kind of  religious prostitution, as each woman had to reach, once in their lives, the sanctuary of Militta, the goddess of Love like Aphrodites in Greece, and there have sex with a foreigner as a sign of hospitality for a symbolic price. This ‘sacred prostitution' was indeed ‘viewed with social approval', as you say, but it was an occasional occurrence, unlike what happened in ancient Greece.

In Athens in fact there were  the "pornai", i.e. the common prostitutes who had connection with more men, and the "hetairai"( meaning ‘Female Companions' , i.e. the ones  who had a quasi-recognized connection with a single man).
The ‘hetairai' were a class of professional independent courtesans  who, besides developing physical beauty, cultivated their minds and talents to a degree far beyond that allowed to the average Greek  woman.
So, unlike the common  prostitutes, who met their customers while walking (Greek,'peripatetikai'), or  worked near the bridges for the price  of 1 obole, a sixth of a drachma and the equivalent of an ordinary worker's day salary, the hetaerae enjoyed an enviable and respected position of wealth and were protected and taxed by the state. Though they were generally slaves, foreigners or freedwomen, their freedom was greater than that of the married woman, who was bound to seclusion.
They were often hired as entertainers for ‘symposia'
(i.e. banquets with music and conversation) and family sacrifices and that their homes were frequented by married men was not censured by society. In fact, even Pericles, the greatest of Athenian statesmen during the 5th.cent. BC,  had a love affair with Aspasia, a native of Miletus,  who was just a hetaera.
To sum up, the hetaerae were complex figures that were perhaps in an intermediate position between prostitution and courtisanerie, so that they were as famous for their company as their beauty, and often charged extraordinary sums for their services.
[See Aspasia, long-time companion of the Athenian politician Pericles; Lais, a legendary  courtesan who was active in Corinth in the 4th cent.BC; Thais, a concubine of Alexander the Great, and Phryne , a celebrated Athenian courtesan who flourished in the times of Philip and Alexander the Great (4th. cent BC) and was the mistress of some of the most distinguished men of the day].

Finally, with regard to Rome, during  the early Roman Republic prostitution was little known, and when recognized was branded with infamy. Later prostitution assumed frightful proportions and had little or no legal restriction. Its growth in fact was fostered by the spread of slavery among the Romans, since from the slave-markets both men and women  came from Asia and Africa to taint the old-time purity of Rome by their influence.
So, in Rome there were the common prostitutes called ‘meretrices' or ‘scorta' in Latin , and  concubines (‘concubinae', in Latin), i.e. unmarried women   who cohabited with a man.
In the older times this was viewed as an offence deserving punishment, but later concubinatus was regarded without censure, though it differed from lawful marriage in its legal effects and mostly in the loss of reputation to the woman.Anyway the concubines had nothing to do with the Greek hetaerae and were not viewed with social approval.

Hope this outline can be helpful to you.
Best regards
Maria