By Tim Lambert
Sex Work in the Ancient World
Sex work is often called the world’s oldest profession. Exchanging services in exchange for food or other goods probably took place in Prehistoric times. It certainly was common in the earliest civilizations in Iraq and Egypt. Sex workers were recorded in Ancient Iraq as early as 2,400 BC.
Sex workers are also mentioned in the Bible. A woman named Tamar disguises herself as a sex worker and sits by the roadside. (Genesis 38). A sex worker called Rahab helps Israeli spies when they enter the town of Jericho (Joshua 2-6). Whether or not the stories are historically true, they show that sex work was common at that time.
In Ancient Greece, sex work was legal. There were both male and female sex workers. Sex workers paid taxes, and they provided a good income for the state.
There were two sorts of sex workers in Ancient Greece. The cheap ones were called pornai. Some wore studded sandals that left the word ‘akolothi’ (follow me) in the unpaved streets. Many worked in brothels.
The expensive female sex workers were called hetairai. They were educated, upper-class women, and they provided conversation as well as sex. They had their independence in a very restrictive society. Female sex workers were tolerated in Ancient Greece, but males were looked down upon because they accepted a ‘passive’, womanly role.
Sex workers were also common in the Roman Empire. There were many brothels. The Romans imposed taxes on sex workers. As in Greece, sex workers varied in status from poor to wealthy. Although sex work was legal, the women were often looked down on and discriminated against.
Sex Work in the Middle Ages and Renaissance
In the Middle Ages, the Church taught that sex should only take place in marriage. However, sex workers were tolerated as a necessary evil. Augustine of Hippo 354-530 said that brothels were like sewers under a city. He did not approve of sex workers but said they helped to prevent worse evils. His views influenced people for centuries.
There were many brothels in Medieval European towns. Sex workers were tolerated but they were stigmatised. In 1171, the Bishop of Winchester was given the power to license brothels in Southwark (then a suburb of London, south of the River Thames) and collect the money spent there. The sex workers were called Winchester Geese, but when they died, they were not allowed to be buried in consecrated ground. Henry VIII closed the brothels in 1546, but of course, the girls just moved elsewhere.
The religious reformer Martin Luther (1483-1546) strongly condemned sex work. However, it continued. The authorities usually tolerated it. It was still regarded as a necessary evil. As usual, there was a big difference between courtesans, who were expensive and often educated, and the poor sex workers.
Of course, there were sex workers in other cultures, including China, Korea, and Japan. There were also many sex workers in India.
Modern Sex Work
During the 19th century, sex work thrived. There were many brothels in towns and cities but the poorest women walked the streets. For some women, it was the only way to earn a decent amount of money. Sex workers were called ‘fallen women’, ‘Magdalenes’, or even ‘soiled doves’. As in previous eras, sex work was tolerated as a necessary evil.
In the 21st century, attitudes to sex work changed. Many people now regard it as just another form of work for people over 18.
However, in 1999, Sweden introduced the so-called Nordic model. The law does not criminalise sex workers, but it does criminalise the customers. Several other countries followed.
At the same time there is a growing movement to decriminalise sex work. In 2003, New Zealand became the first nation to decriminalise sex work. In Australia, sex work was decriminalised in the Northern Territory in 2019, Victoria in 2023, and in 2024 in Queensland. In Europe, the first country to decriminalise sex work was Belgium in 2022.
Today, Amnesty International campaigns for the decriminalisation of sex work.
Dolly’s House Museum in Ketchikan, Alaska