ANCIENT GREECE AND SLAVES ZABOROWSKI. 607 



tions, and in workshops, where they practiced all trades, to hire out 

 for land ow^ners, farmers, and contractors, and they also purchased 

 them in order to deliver them into prostitution. It is known that the 

 State itself established houses of ill fame partly to check certain vices. 

 Solon had charge of these institutions and they were administered 

 at the expense of the State. Alf the women in these houses were 

 alien-purchased slaves. The Grecian- woman who through repeated 

 downfalls entered those places thereby renounced every social and 

 family tie. All these women were m fact given up to public serv- 

 ice. They could not leave the district without permission of the 

 archons and by giving guarantees for their return. Their houses 

 mcreased to such a degree in the streets of Piree that, so to speak, 

 they were at every step. The patrons paid only a very moderate 

 uniform price, at the lowest, 1 obole. Debtors were there sheltered 

 from their creditors, and a father had no right to go there to surprise 

 his son. People of all classes visited these houses. They furnished 

 to the State a considerable revenue for the protection afforded them. 

 This was known to speculators, who profited thereby. 



One of these public women of the lowest rank was the mistress of 

 the King of Egypt, Ptolomy Philadelphus. Although they might be 

 cantoned in dwellings classed as public establishments, and though 

 it was forbidden them to pass a single night in the city proper, yet 

 they were in contact with everyone and had a chance each day of 

 making a profitable friendship. The class of independent prosti- 

 tutes, above them, was fed from their ranks, for it was made up 

 chiefly of those who had been emancipated. There were some 

 Greeks among them; but those who frequented the streets of Piree 

 were nearly all aliens. Evidently the greater number of these women 

 remained at that level and practiced their calling to the end in these 

 particularly degrading conditions. It is, however, certain that the 

 prettier ones and those most favored were raised in time to the demi- 

 monde and that the courtesans were former independent prostitutes 

 who had become the fashion. 



The temple of Corinth drew a large revenue from these courtesans, 

 priestesses of Venus, who were established there, and these were 

 everywhere very liighly favored and mingled with all classes. 



The courtesans counted in their ranks some very intelligent women, 

 some of whom were celebrated and are so still, for they had been lis- 

 tening counselors, influencers of powerful statesmen. One historian, 

 Aristophanes of Byzance, estimated that there were 135 of these cour- 

 tesans whose sayings and achievements are worthy of posterity. 



While Grecian wives stayed at home, absorbed in their household 

 and motherly duties, some of these public courtesans participated in 

 outside affairs, taking part even in religious ceremonies, were versed 

 in literature and philosophy, and were not strangers to affairs of 



