Roman Prostitution and Sexuality

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Roman, but often children were outcomes of such interactions, which to the prostitute’s advantage allowed her to one -fourth of estate. Public shaming of those involved in such acts could easily bring a family down the social ladder and damage any prospects that person and those connect to you may have had or ever recived, while woman, on the other hand, could be visually labed as a prostitute for her indiscretions so the public would know her for what she was.The public did also acknowledge that these adulterous-prostitutes were not the only to be blamed. Her husband was seen as incompetent in being able to control his wife’s sexuality and protect his honor. Although this was a threatening outcome, little effect because Romans continued to mingle with prostitutes while still marring to there best advantage.

The business of prostitution was a profitable one to be sure. In an attempt to tap into this income Emperor Caligula placed a tax on prostitution to increase state revenue. At a rate of one sexual interaction a day the tax becomes a profitable outcome, which only seemed to legitimize the practice of prostitution as a financial career. The taxation held until its abolishment in 498.

The acknowledgment of prostitution allowed the practice of slave women who were being sold to be held under a covenant that once they are bought they will not be prostituted by the buy, to be a more acceptable practice. The auther muses that perhaps it is the general dislike of Caligula or that through his acknowledgment he has given a bit of social barrier relief, that allows the practice of giving slave woman a chance of being forced into the scocially shameful act of prostitution or to prevent the lowering the value of the slave.

While this allowed the slaves to have the last sort of benefit in there life as a lower class worker, it also causes an interesting blur of the Romans basic understanding of prostitution. By prostitution being a tolerated access for men it allowed them to in a way place value on the elite woman as inaccessible. The removal of slaves or people from the field of prostitution further confused the social barriers. For the Romans previously prostitution was of little concern because they believed that they could “control it, identify it, and distinguish it clearly from its counterpart, the respectable institution of the upper classes”. This is a clear showing of the social and political status norms or moral conduct of Rome shifting and affecting everyone even the low class.

The Author concludes his book with returning to his understanding of how the Romans at there most basic level handled Prostitution; Through tolerance. While Rome elite tried t keep clear lines separating prostitution from themselves, to truly understand ancient Roman sexuality you must look at both classes as separate and together. They both had crucial roles in what make up Roman society and the understanding of its history today.

This book is truly a fantastic piece of literature and the author takes his hypothesis and shows while a bit shallow a unique viewing of prostitution from all sides while taking no ones side. This book has a clear standing in historical literature and allows you to understand an aspect of Rome that rarely is touched by the average history course. Id clearly recommends this to anyone seeking to better understand Rome as a whole.

Citation:

• McGinn, T. A. (2003). Prostitution, sexuality, and the law in acient Rome. Oxford: Oxford University Press.