Review of A. K. Strong, Prostitutes and Matrons in the Roman World (original) (raw)

Prostitutes and Matrons in the Roman World (Introduction)

Prostitutes and Matrons in the Roman World is the first substantial account of elite Roman concubines and courtesans. Exploring the blurred line between proper matron and wicked prostitute, it illuminates the lives of sexually promiscuous women like Messalina and Clodia, as well as prostitutes with hearts of gold who saved Rome and their lovers in times of crisis. It also offers insights into the multiple functions of erotic imagery and the circumstances in which prostitutes could play prominent roles in Roman public and religious life. Tracing the evolution of social stereotypes and concepts of virtue and vice in ancient Rome, this volume reveals the range of life choices and sexual activity, beyond the traditional binary depiction of wives or prostitutes, that were available to Roman women.

Prostitutes and Matrons in the Roman World

The female prostitute in ancient Rome: An Identity

The identity of the female prostitute in Ancient Rome is often defined in simplistic bias-laden terms. The contemporary literature is presented from an elite male understanding, and a Western elite male ideology continues to dominate today. This paper attempts to unpick this bias to form a deeper understanding of the identity of the female prostitute. The identity is examined using three definitions: legal, sexual preference, and that of a woman. By looking at these various definitions a more layered and complex identity is presented than simply that of a female sex worker.

The Brothel of Pompeii: Sex, Class, and Gender on the Margins of Roman Society

2019

In this book, Sarah Levin-Richardson offers the first authoritative examination of Pompeii's purpose-built brothel, the only verifiable brothel from Greco-Roman antiquity. Taking readers on a tour of all of the structure's evidence, including the rarely seen upper floor, she illuminates the subculture housed within its walls. Here, prostitutes could flout the norms of society and proclaim themselves sexual subjects and agents, while servile clients were allowed to act as 'real men'. Prostitutes and clients also exchanged gifts, greetings, jokes, taunts, and praise. Written in a clear, engaging style, and accompanied by an ample illustration program and translations of humorous and haunting graffiti, Levin-Richardson's book will become a new touchstone for those interested in the history of women, slavery, and prostitution in the classical world.

Fettered by your Tresses: The Sexual Agency of Brothel Slaves in the Roman World

Legacies of Slavery and Contemporary Resistance, 2023

In this chapter, I endeavor to identify a range of agentic behaviors attributable to unfree sex workers in the Roman world. Ancient prostitution was almost exclusively maintained by slave women and girls, who tolerated execrable working conditions, daily objectification, and frequent abuse. However, despite the evident tribulations associated with sex work, enslaved prostitutes were not wholly acquiescent, navigating their subjugation with considerable dexterity. Whether adopting beguiling personas, enhancing their appearance, or sharing erotic stratagems, brothel slaves ventured to attenuate the hardships of their profession.

Roman Prostitution Through Plautus’ Theatre

Studies in Ancient Art and Civilisation

The main issue addressed in this paper is the study of the prostitution business in the mid-Republican period from the point of view of theatre. Theatre appeared in Rome in 240 BC, and, from that time on, we find plays that are of great value to our understanding of the Roman society of this period. For this reason, we will focus on the comedies of Plautus, representing the genre of the fabula palliata. By taking this documentation as a basis, one can analyse the role of prostitutes and procurers in his comedies, on whom we are given extensive information through humour. Despite possible exaggerations, the models used by the author allow us to approach the reality of that period (the end of the 3rd and the 2nd century BC).

Marginalized: the reality of being a female prostitute and slave in Imperial Rome

The role of women in the social life of the Roman Empire was always limited, not only by gender, but also by social class. Reaching an unprecedented level of marginalization, they became the victims of a vicious circle in which not only they did not have legal rights, but they were not the owners of deciding or choosing their intimate relationships, reduced to being a simple entity without human attributes, mere property, and a shame to society.

LUPANAR: RETHINKING THE ROMAN BROTHEL

The study of prostitution in the Roman Empire affords classicists rich insights into issues of gender and sexuality, and even ancient economics. Previous studies, however, have been impeded by the problems archaeologists face in identifying houses of prostitution in the archaeological record. The criteria which archaeologists currently employ, designed by Andrew Wallace-Hadrill, rely on the fallacious assumption that all Roman brothels had the same features: crude graffiti, erotic artwork, and stone beds. While historical archaeologists in the United States have successfully identified brothels based on their recovery of profession-related artifacts, they maintain that there is no singular artifact or architectural element that definitively indicates a house of prostitution. Assignations in historical archaeology are the result of comparison studies of the entire assemblage with those of regular domestic households. Despite inadequate publication and recording practices (particularly in archaeology‟s infancy), such an approach is possible for classical archaeologists.

Review of A. K. Strong, Prostitutes and Matrons in the Roman World (original) (raw)

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