Prostitutes and Courtesans in the Ancient World (Wisconsin Studies in Classics) [Paperback]

Christopher A. Faraone (Editor), Laura K. McClure (Editor)

Book Description

Series: Wisconsin Studies in Classics | Publication Date: February 6, 2006

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.

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

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

• Paperback: 376 pages
• Publisher: University of Wisconsin Press; 1 edition (February 6, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0299213145
• ISBN-13: 978-0299213145
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,702,189 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Will prove fascinating and insightful, October 3, 2006

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Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Prostitutes and Courtesans in the Ancient World (Wisconsin Studies in Classics) (Paperback)

Expertly compiled and co-edited by Christopher A. Faraone & Laura K. McClure, Prostitutes & Courtesans in the Ancient World is a seminal collection of essays by learned authors about the sex trade in ancient human history, from ancient Mesopotamia to the beginning of the Christian period. Drawing upon sources ranging from legal and religious tracts to lyric poetry, love elegies, comic drama, and graffiti on the walls of ancient Pompeii, Prostitutes & Courtesans in the Ancient World offers a fascinating glimpse into the lives of women whose work in the sex trade often put them amid otherwise all-male gatherings, and whose literary representations often had reverberating political and social influence. A perfect balance between scholarly analysis and conversational tone, Prostitutes & Courtesans in the Ancient World will prove fascinating and insightful to historians and lay readers alike.