Concubines and hetairai(courtesans, companions, escorts) were not usually citizens.
From early days, the Athenians had taken a pragmatic attitude to prostitution. Solon
is said to have legalised brothels and prostitutes (pornai) were subject to tax, a
procedure that involves state recognition. Mention has already been made of the flute
players who might provide sexual services at symposia. Such scenes of a sexual
nature are depicted upon vases. Doubtless then as now there were different classes
of prostitute. At the expensive end of the market were the hetairai.Aristophanes gives
us a glimpse of here of the sex trade in Corinth amongst both women and boys.
Chremylos And they say the Corinthian hetairai
When any poor man tries his chances with them,
Just ignore him, but if a rich man arrives
They turn their anus to him right away!
Karion They say the youth do the same too
Not for their erastai but for the money.
Chremylos Only the male prostitutes, not the well-born boys;
They don’t ask for money.
Karion What do they ask for then?
Chremylos One asks for a good horse, another for hunting hounds.
Karion They are probably ashamed to ask for money
So they disguise their wickedness with another name.
(Wealth, 149–159)The most famous hetairais Aspasia, a Milesian woman whom Pericles took as his
partner later in his life after he parted company with his wife, who by that time had
borne him two sons. A hetaira,therefore, might be a mistress and move up the social
scale. According to Plutarch (a late witness),
Pericles too, according to some writers, was attracted to Aspasia mainly because
of her rare political wisdom. Socrates visited her from time to time with his disciples
and some of his close friends brought their wives to listen to her conversation,
even though she carried on a trade that was anything but honourable or even
respectable, since it consisted of keeping a house of young courtesans.... And
in Plato’s Menexenus– even though the first section is written partly in parody of
the rhetoricians – there is certainly this element of truth, namely that the woman
had the reputation of being associated with a whole succession of Athenians, who
came to her to learn rhetoric.
(Life of Pericles, 24)In the Menexenus, the dialogue to which Plutarch refers, Socrates has this to say of
Aspasia’s talents:
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