History of Brothels: How Did Prostitutes Exist in Ancient Times?
The very term “brothel” has become a slur in society, where prostitution is rightly defined as indiscriminate sexual relations paid for with money or other valuables. Prehistoric times have shown that prostitution was ingrained in the human consciousness.
Contents of the article:
Prehistoric Prostitution
Researchers express the opinion, supported by the fact that prostitution arose naturally long before the intelligent evolution of man. Indeed, at that time, no one had opened brothels yet.
American anthropologist Owen Lovejoy was the first to present the somewhat paradoxical conclusion that food was already shared among the first prehistoric humans. Yes, there was simply no money back then. Women moved from partner to partner, staying longer with those who provided more food. Then, the partner began to ensure that the woman did not leave him and received the necessary amount of food. This was the beginning of monogamous relationships. Thanks to this constant relationship, men stopped fighting among themselves and began hunting in groups. Thus began the development of humanity.
Prostitution in Mesopotamia
Hammurabi”s historical norm became official confirmation of the existence of prostitution. This indicates that prostitution existed already in the 18th century. Great Soviet Encyclopedia. Moreover, she was a member of the Temple, and the property rights of prostitutes were protected by law. In both Sumer and Babylon, prostitutes were divided into categories. Women who sold themselves in the temple were called nadita and were protected by laws that preserved their good name.
Ancient Israel
Ancient Jewish law prohibited prostitution. However, this does not mean it did not exist. Even the biblical texts of the Old Testament contain references to prostitutes. Of course, it is unlikely that brothels existed, but the love of money certainly did.
Ancient Greek Prostitutes
The rational ancient Greeks realized that prostitution was useless, and decided to earn extra money from it. The first was introduced by the Athenian Solon, a senator of a tax on prostitution. This happened around 560 BC. Subsequently, the first Greek brothel appeared — Dikterion. These de are planted in markets near harbors far from cities. Clients were lifted by naked slaves standing at the entrance.
Moreover, already at that time prostitutes, and therefore brothels, were divided into male and female. In addition to slaves, many dancers were engaged in prostitution. The caste of prostitutes was high. Greek hetaeras were not only very beautiful, but also smart.
Some of them had close relationships with prominent figures. Consider, for example, Aspasia, the owner of a brothel in Millet. Her class affiliation did not prevent her from marrying Pericles and making his house the intellectual center of Athens. Of course, not all prostitutes were so lucky. Many of them did not even have the right to leave the brothel.
Ancient Roman “Paid Love”
Petronius called Roman brothels lupinalia. A distinctive feature of these buildings was that half-naked girls walked around them. The brothel was already divided into small rooms intended for prostitutes to receive clients. Over time, the walls of such structures began to be “decorated” with obscene writings, including “cave paintings” of modern public toilets. The remains of the first brothel were discovered during excavations in Pompeii, buried under volcanic ash.
The authorities of Ancient Rome taxed prostitutes, as did the Greek authorities. A woman who decided to acquire an ancient artifact had to be included in a special list maintained by the security magistrate. Then she received a kind of license — licentia stupri, which means permission to commit adultery.
Interestingly, in this case the woman was legally recognized as mentally retarded. She could not dispose of her property or be a witness in court. She also had to wear yellow clothes and red shoes. Jewelry was prohibited.
Indeed, corruption in the Roman Empire went far. And even the daughters of senators and equestrians were issued licenses for prostitution, which led to the fact that Emperor Tiberius issued a special decree prohibiting the latter from selling their bodies. There were rumors in Rome that even Messalina, the wife of Emperor Claudius, was a rocker in exciting brothels and worked part-time under the pseudonym Ricisca.
Medieval Strictness
It would seem that the advent of Christianity with its moral values should have put an end to the shameful profession. However, in fact, everything was the other way around, and medieval brothels did not stop operating. Again, the Bible even mentions the names of prostitutes who supposedly repented. We are talking about Mary Magdalene and Mary of Egypt.
Brothels, marked with special emblems, were located throughout the devastated streets. In addition to the emblems, these buildings featured brightly colored grilles, red lanterns on the doors, and wall paintings of animals and flower houses.
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Sex workers deal with a diverse clientele, and it is difficult to surprise them with anything. However, they themselves admit that sometimes the desires of men.
The prostitutes themselves also had to stand out from the crowd and wear stickers. Prostitution was not allowed for pregnant, married, too young or sick women. Clergymen and married men were also prohibited from visiting brothels. Brothels became a hotbed of infection, causing enormous damage to the prostitute trade and leading to an epidemic of syphilis.
Modern Times
It was the epidemic of venereal diseases that led to the mass registration of prostitutes from the 18th century. According to the lists, they were placed under medical and police surveillance. From time to time they tried to combat this phenomenon by banning or closing brothels. In fact, such actions were unsuccessful and prostitution continued to flourish.
This was largely due to the weakening of Christian values and new geographical discoveries, which increased the number of sailors and the need for the services of port prostitutes.
This was followed by a regular army, ready to satisfy the sexual needs of soldiers and, accordingly, female personnel.
Characteristics of “Popular Prostitution”
In some countries, few people know that prostitution is part of the culture and a form of hospitality. For example, men in Kalachai considered themselves insulted if visitors did not want to share a bed with their legal wives.
Later, this northern tradition acquired a commercial character. Thus, a resident of the Russian Empire could rent a house and offer it to his wife or daughter in addition to himself, increasing his housing payments. Such enterprises were especially popular in the Siberian lands, where the first wealthy and hardworking workers returned from the gold mines.
Brothels of Our Time
Attitudes towards prostitution in our time are ambiguous. And now we are not talking about “blue stockings”, old virgins or the natural hostility of married respectable sailors. We are talking about modern men with very natural sexual needs.
Therefore, some of them, in order to legalize Russian brothels, are guided by certain principles. Firstly, it is convenient, and secondly, representatives of brothels monitor their health more carefully (at least many men think so). And, of course, choice. He comes and chooses among dozens of women those in whom what he has already seemingly seen arouses desire.
On the contrary, other men believe that the accumulation of a large number of priests of love in one room can lead to the spread of infections. They are also embarrassed by the lack of ability to hide their addiction.
What should clients of brothels do if the governments of different countries treat emission houses differently?
Legalized Brothels
In many countries, prostitution as a profession has long been legalized. Of course, there were many conflicts, ranging from religious issues to issues of physiology and morality. However, in many countries it is generally accepted that two adults have the right to make their own choice. Therefore, do not hide your love for sales, there is absolutely nothing shameful about it. So what is it like, the life of a moth in different countries?
Residents of the state have a fairly standard understanding of both brothel workers and their clients. Interestingly, they are allowed to officially engage in domestic prostitution, but this should not be the main occupation for women. This is an interesting approach to the problem. If she sells her body and not for need, that”s fine. If a woman is forced into prostitution, this is already considered a violation of the law. Strange.
And this is not all the oddities of Danish prostitution. Therefore, in general, brothel services should be free for people with disabilities. Another part of the opposition believes that prostitution should be prohibited due to negative attitudes towards women.
Legal brothels in Brazil, which attract numerous sex tourists to the country, also face unpleasant tensions with the authorities. On the one hand, everything is permitted. On the other, public concern is growing, fueled by the spread of HIV in the country. The problem is so serious that international foundations are providing government financial support for the prevention and treatment of the disease. Indeed, in response to this, the legalization of brothels should be repealed. The Brazilian authorities have refused. But in practice, who would doubt it?
In this country, prostitution is only permitted for women. Indeed, no one enforces the rules, and the rules are set by men—prostitutes are not a problem. The issue here is different—like child prostitution, which is widespread in the state, it is unregulated. As in most cases, the blame lies with corruption among local authorities.
Boating is also legalized in many European countries—Germany and the Netherlands, Switzerland and Hungary. Authorities in Spain and the Czech Republic are very lenient towards prostitution, despite the lack of legislation. Brothels in developed countries look quite respectable. They require cozy interiors, beautiful girls, and mandatory regular medical checkups for their “staff.” Some brothels occupy entire streets and even entire blocks. Consider the pedestrian areas of Amsterdam. It”s located in Paris, the capital of France.
Far from the best option for sex tourism. Although brothels are legal everywhere here, the problem lies elsewhere. There”s no guarantee that prostitutes won”t go on strike at any given moment, and in Bolivia, they do so frequently.
Visitors to brothels
Visitors to Brothels
As for the visitors, they are mostly quite respectable and well-off citizens. Some of them are lonely and can only expect to satisfy their sexual needs in brothels. Many men immersed in business don”t have the free time to develop long-term relationships. It was for these men that the first legal brothel was opened in Moscow.
In other cases, there is a permanent life partner, but she is not at all ready to fulfill some of the sexual fantasies of the men in her life. This dissatisfaction allows the spouse to visit the brothel and satisfy even the most daring desires.
So, to summarize, we can safely say that brothels are simply a must in the modern world. Moreover, it is impossible to hide from the presence of the maidens of love.
For everything you need to know about brothels in Japan, read the article here.
History of prostitution in ancient Rome. brothels, state, hygiene. cart.
