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Prostitution was a common aspect of ancient Greece.〔This article was originally translated from the French Wikipedia article ''Prostitution en Grèce antique'' 22 May 2006.〕 In the more important cities, and particularly the many ports, it employed a significant number of people and represented a notable part of economic activity. It was far from being clandestine; cities did not condemn brothels, but rather only instituted regulations on them. In Athens, the legendary lawmaker Solon is credited with having created state brothels with regulated prices. Prostitution involved both sexes differently; women of all ages and young men were prostitutes, for a predominantly male clientele. Simultaneously, extramarital relations with a free woman were severely dealt with. In the case of adultery, the cuckold had the legal right to kill the offender if caught in the act; the same went for rape. Female adulterers, and by extension prostitutes, were forbidden to marry or take part in public ceremonies.〔(Demosthenes LIX.85 )〕 The average age of marriage being 30 for men, the young Athenian had no choice if he wanted to have sexual relations other than to turn to slaves or prostitutes. The existence of female prostitutes for a female clientele is not well documented. There is a mention of (''hetairistriai'', "she-minions") in Plato's dialogue the Symposium, and these women are said to "have no great fancy for men; they are inclined rather to women."〔Plato, ''Symposium'', trans Harold N. Fowler, (Plato, Parmenides, Philebus, Symposium, Phaedrus ); accessed 19 May 2006.(Symposium 191e 2–5.)〕 One can speculate that these she-minions were prostitutes for a lesbian clientele. Lucian touches on the practice in his ''Dialogue of Courtesans'' (V) but it is possible that he is simply alluding to Plato's passage. ==''Pornai''== The "''pornai''" ()〔The first noted occurrence of this word is found in Archilochus, a poet at the beginning of the 6th century BC(fragment 302)〕 were found at the bottom end of the scale. They were, as alluded to by the etymology—the word comes from ''pernemi'' "to sell"—the property of pimps or ''pornoboskós'' (), who received a portion of their earnings. This owner could be a citizen, for this activity was considered as a source of income just like any other: one 4th century BC orator cites two; Theophrastus in ''Characters'' (6:5) lists ''pimp'' next to ''cook'', ''innkeeper'', and ''tax collector'' as an ordinary profession, though disreputable.〔Keuls, p.154.〕 The owner could also be a male or female Metic. In the classical era of ancient Greece, ''pornai'' were slaves of barbarian origin; starting in the Hellenistic era the case of young girls abandoned by their citizen fathers can be added. They were considered to be slaves until proven otherwise. ''Pornai'' were usually employed in brothels located in "red-light" districts of the period, such as Piraeus (port of Athens) or Kerameikos in Athens. The classical Athenian statesman Solon is credited as being the first to institute legal public brothels. He did this as a public health measure, to contain adultery. The poet Philemon praised him for this measure in the following terms:
As Philemon highlights, the Solonian brothels provided a service accessible to all, regardless of income. (One obolus is one sixth of one drachma, the daily salary of a public servant at the end of the 5th century BC. By the middle of the 4th century BC, this salary was up to a drachma and a half.) In the same light, Solon used taxes he levied on brothels to build a temple to Aphrodite Pandemos (literally "Aphrodite of all the people"). Even if the historical accuracy of these anecdotes can be doubted, it is clear that classical Athens considered prostitution to be part of its democracy. In regards to price, there are numerous allusions to the price of one obolus for a cheap prostitute; no doubt for basic acts. It is difficult to assess whether this was the actual price or a proverbial amount designating a "good deal". Independent prostitutes who worked the street were on the next higher level. Besides directly displaying their charms to potential clients they had recourse to publicity; sandals with marked soles have been found which left an imprint that stated ''AKOLOUTHEI'' ("Follow me") on the ground.〔Halperin, ''One Hundred Years of Homosexuality'', p.109.〕 They also used makeup, apparently quite outrageously. Eubulus, a comic author, offers these courtesans derision: "plastered over with layers of white lead, … jowls smeared with mulberry juice. And if you go out on a summer's day, two rills of inky water flow from your eyes, and the sweat rolling from your cheeks upon your throat makes a vermilion furrow, while the hairs blown about on your faces look grey, they are so full of white lead".〔of Athenaeus, (''Deipnosophisae'' ). trans. Charles Burton Gulick, 1937l; accessed 19 May 2006〕 These prostitutes had various origins: Metic women who could not find other work, poor widows, and older ''pornai'' who had succeeded in buying back their freedom (often on credit). In Athens they had to be registered with the city and pay a tax. Some of them made a decent fortune plying their trade. In the 1st century, at Qift in Roman Egypt, passage for prostitutes cost 108 drachma, while other women paid 20.〔W. Dittenberger, ''Orientis Graeci inscriptiones selectæ'' (OGIS), Leipzig, 1903–1905, II, 674.〕 Their tariffs are difficult to evaluate: they varied significantly. In the 4th century BC, Theopompus indicated that prostitutes of the second tier demanded a stater and in the 1st century BC, the Epicurean philosopher Philodemus of Gadara, cited in the ''Palatine anthology'', V 126, mentions a system of subscription of up to five drachma for a dozen visits. In the 2nd century, Lucian in his ''Dialogue of the Hetaera'' has the prostitute Ampelis consider five drachma per visit as a mediocre price (8, 3). In the same text a young virgin can demand a Mina, that is 100 drachma (7,3), or even two minas if the customer is less than appetizing. A young and pretty prostitute could charge a higher price than her in-decline colleague; even if, as iconography on ceramics demonstrates, a specific market existed for older women. The price would change if the client demanded exclusivity. Intermediate arrangements also existed; a group of friends could purchase exclusivity, with each having part-time rights. Musicians and dancers working at male banquets can also undoubtedly be placed in this category. Aristotle, in his ''Constitution of the Athenians'' (L, 2) mentions among the specific directions to the ten city controllers (five from within the city and five from the Piraeus), the ''astynomoi'', that "it is they who supervise the flute-girls and harp-girls and lyre-girls to prevent their receiving fees of more than two drachmas〔Aristotle in 22 vols, trans. H. Rackham (); accessed 20 May 2006〕" per night. Sexual services were clearly part of the contract,〔See, for example ''The Wasps'' by Aristophanes, v. 1342 ff.〕 though the price, in spite of the efforts of the astynomoi, tended to increase throughout the period. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア(Wikipedia)』 ■ウィキペディアで「Prostitution in ancient Greece」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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