Prostitution in ancient Athens was allowed to be practiced and completely legal, as long as the women were not official Athenian citizens. This became ever more popular during the time of Solon, He is credited to have funded many brothels filled with prostitutes who did not have Athenian citizenship.
Context: The Symposi
In short, the Greek Symposia was a drinking party for men in the elite class of Athens. This event was normally held in the adron, which was the man’s room in a Greek household. Activities at the symposia included drinking games as well as the difference between genders and love. For entertainment, they would hire Mousourgoi (workers of the muses), which were women highly trained in the performing arts. If a man going to a symposia wanted a companion for the event, he would hire a hetaira.
What are Hetairai?
There are no exact dates for the appearance of the hetairai, however, it is thought that hetairai developed as a profession along with the symposia. According to scholars, the Greek word hetaira directly translate to courtesan. Along with the Mousourgoi, the hetairai were the only women allowed in the symposia, acting as a companion to the man who paid for her services. At the symposia, the hetaira would have elaborate conversations with the man in topics that are only taught to men, such as politics and philosophy. Although they were mostly hired for their company and friendship, the hetaira would be obligated to have sex with the paying man if he so desired.
One important distinction to make is that of the hetaira and the pornai. On one hand, the pornai were women who occupied the streets and brothels, providing only sex for payment. The pornai were highly accessible to all citizen men, from the elite to the lower classes. Only the performance of sexual intercourse was expected of them, as they provided their bodies for the man’s sexual pleasure.
On the other hand, the hetairai acted more as mistresses or Greek escorts, primarily paid for their companionship. These women would have long lasting relationships with their clientele, which would be limited to only a few men at the same time. A hetaira would be expected to reflect the male fantasy of the “ideal lady” from the Archaic to the Hellenistic period. Greek Escorts and Greek call girls were expected to appear delicate and dainty, eating lightly from their fingers and to not grossly over-drink:
Modern Misconceptions
If you Google search “what is a hetaira”, this is the very first definition within the search results:
Although it is okay to simplify the definition to “a courtesan or mistress”, I find the comparison to the modern Japanese geisha to be very incorrect.
Mineko Iwasaki, the most famous modern geisha, explains in her auto-biography the intricate details of the profession. Beginning at the age of five, future geisha are trained for years in the Japanese traditional arts. They are primarily hired professional entertainers in the latter, but are also considered courtesans as they develop professional relationships with their clients.
Hetairai should not be compared to the modern geisha because the hetaira was obligated to have sex with his client if he desired so.
Geishas do not have sex with their paying client, unless they happen to fall in love and both parties consent. The sexual intercourse would be personal, and so would not occur in the geisha’s professional setting of a tea-house or party room.
