Prostitutes and Matrons in the Roman World

From streetwalkers in the Roman Forum to imperial concubines, Roman prostitutes defined what it meant to be a 'bad girl'.

List of contents

Introduction; 1. Faithful wives and greedy prostitutes; 2. Good little prostitutes; 3. Powerful concubines and influential courtesans; 4. Matrona as Meretrix; 5. Can you know a Meretrix when you see one?; 6. Prostitutes and matrons in the urban landscape; 7. Pious prostitutes; 8. The 'whore' label in Western culture; Conclusion. Liminal women.

About the author

Anise K. Strong, winner of the Women's Classical Caucus Award for best presentation in classical gender studies, received her B.A. from Yale University, Connecticut and her M.Phil. and Ph.D. from Columbia University, New York before beginning her professional career at Northwestern University, Illinois, Stanford University, California, and Western Michigan University. She is an Assistant Professor at Western Michigan University and is also a consultant for various television series in their depictions of antiquity.

Summary

Revealing a more complex range of life choices and sexual activity open to Roman women beyond the traditional binary depiction as either wives or prostitutes, this book will be of interest to Roman historians, gender and sexuality scholars, feminist theorists, and those interested in the evolution of social stereotypes.

Product details

• Authors: Anise K. Strong, Anise K. (Western Michigan University) Strong, Strong Anise K.
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press ELT
• Languages: English
• Product format: Hardback
• Released: 12.07.2016
• EAN: 9781107148758
• ISBN: 978-1-107-14875-8
• No. of pages: 350
• Subjects: Humanities, art, music > History > Regional and national histories; Non-fiction book > History > Pre and early history, antiquity; altes Rom, HISTORY / Ancient / Rome, SOCIAL SCIENCE / Women's Studies, SOCIAL SCIENCE / Archaeology, HISTORY / Women, Ancient World, Ancient Rome, Ancient History, Classical history / classical civilisation, Gender studies: women, Archaeology by period / region, Gender studies: women and girls, Classical Greek & Roman archaeology