Improper women Flashcards
1
Q
What was prostitution in Athens like?
A
- legal
- prostitute and brothel owners were taxed by the state
- Athenian men openly discussed visiting brothels
- sex with prostitutes was not considered adulterous under the law
2
Q
What were the two types of prostitutes in Athens?
A
porne
- low-class greek prostitute who worked in a brothel
- normally slaves owned by lena
- word ‘porne’ had negative connotations
- brothels often in slum areas of Athens and were unpleasant and unhygienic
Hetaira
- high-class greek prostitute
- lived in her own house, chosen her own clients and charged a high price
- normally born a free woman and metic
- was able to sing, dance and engage in intellectual conversation when hired for symposium
3
Q
Who was Neaira?
A
- a slave hetaira (unusual)
- owned by Nicarete
- bought by two regular clients who got tired of paying high fees but eventually sold her to Phrynion
- ran away to Megara and met Stephanus who invited her to live with him
- Stephanus blackmailed Neaira’s clients by ‘catching them’
- she was eventually discovered and a court case was brought against her
4
Q
Who was Aspasia?
A
- she was a brothel-keeper and hetaira
- metic who lived in Athens
- greatly admired for her artistic skills and wisdom in political matters
- many looked down on her because she was foreign and a sex-worker
5
Q
What was Plutarch’s view of Aspasia?
A
- he compliments Aspasia’s ability to please important men and stir up discussion among philosophers
- implies she was the reason for Pericles’ success in politics
- compares her to another hetaira, Thargelia, which can suggest that Aspasia was influential in Athens and had motives that were selfish
6
Q
What was prostitution like in Rome?
A
- prostitution was legal
- government licensed and taxed both prostitutes and brothels
- prostitutes could be freeborn or slaves
7
Q
What was infamia and its features?
A
- when a person registered as a prostitute they became known as infamis
features were - loss of the rights of a free person
- could be beaten
- banned from marrying a senator or child of senator
- never hold a government job
8
Q
Key words for Roman Prostitution
A
meretrix- female prostitute who could live very well or suffer extremely difficult life
lupanar - brothel which was dirty, cramped and located in the worst parts of Rome
lena - female pimp and brothel-keeper
9
Q
Why did meretrixes wear togas?
A
- seen as badge of honour for men to wear in public
- for meretrices they were badge of shame
- separated them from respectable matronae who wore a stola
