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Prostitutes and Courtesans in the Ancient World (Wisconsin Studies in Classics) Paperback – February 6, 2006

4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars 12 ratings
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Prostitutes and Courtesans in the Ancient World explores the implications of sex-for-pay across a broad span of time, from ancient Mesopotamia to the early Christian period. In ancient times, although they were socially marginal, prostitutes connected with almost every aspect of daily life. They sat in brothels and walked the streets; they paid taxes and set up dedications in religious sanctuaries; they appeared as characters - sometimes admirable, sometimes despicable - on the comic stage and in the law courts; they lived lavishly, consorting with famous poets and politicians; and they participated in otherwise all-male banquets and drinking parties, where they aroused jealousy among their anxious lovers. The chapters in this volume examine a wide variety of genres and sources, from legal and religious tracts to the genres of lyric poetry, love elegy, and comic drama to the graffiti scrawled on the walls of ancient Pompeii. These essays reflect the variety and vitality of the debates engendered by the last three decades of research by confronting the ambiguous terms for prostitution in ancient languages, the difficulty of distinguishing the prostitute from the woman who is merely promiscuous or adulterous, the question of whether sacred or temple prostitution actually existed in the ancient Near East and Greece, and the political and social implications of literary representations of prostitutes and courtesans.
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  1. Print length
    360 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    University of Wisconsin Press
  4. Publication date
    February 6, 2006
  5. Dimensions
    8.98 x 6.36 x 0.79 inches
  6. ISBN-10
    0299213145
  7. ISBN-13
    978-0299213145
  8. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

Review

“This volume engages provocatively with previous studies on the topic of prostitution in Greece, Rome, and the Near East. The readable style and lively English translations will make this book accessible not only to students and specialists but also to the broader reading public.”—Judith P. Hallett, coeditor of" Roman Sexualities"

"This volume engages provocatively with previous studies on the topic of prostitution in Greece, Rome, and the Near East. The readable style and lively English translations will make this book accessible not only to students and specialists but also to the broader reading public."--Judith P. Hallett, coeditor of" Roman Sexualities"

About the Author

Christopher A. Faraone is professor of classics at the University of Chicago, author of Ancient Greek Love Magic, and co-editor of Magika Hiera: Ancient Greek Magic and Religion. Laura McClure is professor of classics at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, author of Courtesans at Table: Gender and Greek Literary Culture in Athenaeus, and editor of Sexuality and Gender in the Ancient World.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ University of Wisconsin Press; 1st edition (February 6, 2006)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 360 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0299213145
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0299213145
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.1 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 8.98 x 6.36 x 0.79 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars 12 ratings

About the author

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Laura McClure

Laura McClure

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Customer reviews

4.4 out of 5 stars
4.4 out of 5
12 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

bonnie_blu
5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Analyses
Reviewed in the United States on February 19, 2018
Verified Purchase
The papers collected in this book survey various aspects of prostitution in the ancient Mediterranean world. They provide a fresh insight into the lives of the women who were involved in the sex business in all of its forms. I found the book to be interesting and informative. The authors write in an engaging style and are obviously very knowledgeable. Highly recommended.
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Danny Hayes
5.0 out of 5 stars This is the best book on the subject--scrupulously researched and brilliantly written.
Reviewed in the United States on December 13, 2019
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I would highly recommend this volume to anyone interested in classical antiquity or the history of women--fascinating and provocative all the way through.
One person found this helpful
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Chris B.
3.0 out of 5 stars Prostitution hasn't changed in 5,000 years...
Reviewed in the United States on May 2, 2018
Verified Purchase
Pretty dry and uninspired..... depends too much on listing examples of passages about prostitution in ancient texts that have limited value....I was hoping there'd be some real stories about courtesans..... two facts about Sumerian, Greek and Roman prostitution stood out.... one: there weren't any STD's back then.... and two, its like today.... tolerated, looked down upon, but not really punished
One person found this helpful
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Amazon Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars Really enjoyed this book
Reviewed in the United States on October 16, 2016
Verified Purchase
Really enjoyed this book. It engaged with the world of the 1st century to some depth. Will write more later...
One person found this helpful
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Russell C.
3.0 out of 5 stars Who knew you could make this subject boring?
Reviewed in the United States on October 9, 2021
Ok, I’m not what most would call an intellectual and I don’t have a college degree. I have always found ancient prostitution fascinating in the few videos, short click bait lists and general hear say. I thought I would branch out and really learn about the subject but for the simple man, it’s just to dry. I know there are many scholars out there that will get a wealth of knowledge from this book but for us simple guys who have a passing interest in the subject, this may be a pass.
2 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

S. Morgan
5.0 out of 5 stars New View of and Old Profession
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on May 4, 2017
Verified Purchase
Excellent collection of scholarly papers by various authors. The title is a little misleading--the "Ancient World" in question is limited to pre-Christian Greece and Rome. This isn't a fault in the book itself so much as the need for a subtitle.

Too many books on the subject of prostitutes and courtesans are little more than accounts of dubious scandal seen through modern eyes. The ancients saw things differently, and these papers do an excellent job of trying to understand prostitution in the social context of those times. Myths such as the temple prostitutes are examined and found wanting.

Although the tone of the articles tends to be exactingly academic, I was delighted to get a clearer view of these audacious women and men and the societies they operated in.
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M. Piper
4.0 out of 5 stars Four Stars
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on October 5, 2017
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Bought as a gift.
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