Prostitution

The first mention of the practice of prostitution in the Histories concerns the Lydians (1.93-94), and three different terms are employed to describe it. Herodotus depicts it as related to economic reasons, whereas sacred prostitution seems to be performed among the Babylonians (1.196-99). Prostitution is also linked to the Egyptians, with the courtesan Rhodopis (2.134-35) playing an important role among them, since, in her case, the word hetaira bearing the meaning of “prostitute” is used for the first time in Greek literature.