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eve_primeAn intriguing section of Courtesans and Fishcakes: The Consuming Passions of Classical Athens (by James Davidson) discussed the "hetaera." Apparently in ancient Athens, prostitutes weren't allowed to charge more than two drachmas for their services, whereas of course there were a number of very wealthy and independent women whom we would also categorize as prostitutes. The distinction was that there were subtle conventions wherein these women would receive "gifts" from "friends" and later choose to spend time with those friends, but never in a quid pro quo relationship; it was always necessary for at least some time to elapse after the gift. In theory, she always remained free not to sleep with a benefactor. "The difficulty involved in defining a hetaera, then, is all part of the hetaera's plan. A hetaera remains a hetaera only as long as she can foil attempts to pin her down. This uncertainty keeps her on the right side of laws and taxes and builds a glass wall between what she does and what goes on in brothels." Then he goes on: "The hetaera's avoidance of economic definition finds a parallel in her careful avoidance of the masculine gaze." Of course, wives were kept secluded and not on display; common streetwalkers became naked upon payment (and could not decline the business). Hetaeras displayed enough to pique interest -- both in terms of dress and in terms of appearance in male company -- but not so much as to lower their value.
So, I found this interesting, but I'm not entirely sure why; figuring out what's interesting about it would be worthwhile. It's not that I'm inherently fascinated with people who figure out how to work a system to their advantage. Maybe it's because it's women who did it, in a society where achieving any measure of independence was next to impossible for women. Maybe it's horror at the idea of living off of gifts, or consternation at the relative anonymity of Athenian wives compared to these entrepreneurs of "friendship"...
I've acquired a small stack of Travel & Leisure magazines from my mom and Arnold's storage. Today I had fun reading about Shrewsbury and southern Morocco; tomorrow I plan to read about Ephesus and Wales. I remember reading this magazine regularly as a young teen and sending off for scads of free travel brochures, which were such fun to find in our mailbox.
So, I found this interesting, but I'm not entirely sure why; figuring out what's interesting about it would be worthwhile. It's not that I'm inherently fascinated with people who figure out how to work a system to their advantage. Maybe it's because it's women who did it, in a society where achieving any measure of independence was next to impossible for women. Maybe it's horror at the idea of living off of gifts, or consternation at the relative anonymity of Athenian wives compared to these entrepreneurs of "friendship"...
I've acquired a small stack of Travel & Leisure magazines from my mom and Arnold's storage. Today I had fun reading about Shrewsbury and southern Morocco; tomorrow I plan to read about Ephesus and Wales. I remember reading this magazine regularly as a young teen and sending off for scads of free travel brochures, which were such fun to find in our mailbox.