Editing Sacred prostitution (section)

==== Temple(s) of Aphrodite ====
The act of sacred prostitution within the Temples of Aphrodite in the city of [[Corinth]] was well-known and well-spread. Greek writer-philosopher [[Strabo]] comments, "the Temple of Aphrodite was so rich that it owned a thousand temple-slaves, courtesans, whom both men and women had dedicated to the goddess". Within the same work, Strabo compares Corinth to the city of Comana, confirming the belief that temple prostitution was a notable characteristic of Corinth.<ref name=":0"/>

Prostitutes performed sacred functions within the temple of Aphrodite. They would often burn incense in honor of Aphrodite. Chameleon of Heracleia recorded in his book, ''On Pindar'', that whenever the city of Corinth prayed to Aphrodite in manners of great importance, many prostitutes were invited to participate in the prayers and petitions.<ref name=":0"/>

The girls involved in temple prostitution were typically slaves owned by the temple. However, some of the girls were gifted to the temple from other members of society in return for success in particular endeavors. One example that shows the gifting of girls to the temple is the poem of [[Athenaeus]], which explores the athlete Xenophon’s actions of gifting a group of courtesans to Aphrodite as a thanks-offering for his victory in a competition.<ref name=":0">{{Cite book|last=Strong|first=Rebecca|title=The most Shameful Practice: Temple Prostitution in the Ancient Greek World|publisher=University of California, Los Angeles|year=1997|pages=74–75}}</ref>

Specifically in 464 BC, Xenophon was victorious in the Olympic Games and donated 100 slaves to Aphrodite’s temple. [[Pindar]], a famous Greek poet, was commissioned to write a poem that was to be performed at Xenophon’s victory celebration in Corinth. The poet acknowledged that the slaves would serve Aphrodite as sacred prostitutes within her temple at Corinth.<ref name=":1">Blegen, C. "THE CORINTHIAN GODDESS: Aphrodite and Her Hierodouloi."</ref>

Another temple of Aphrodite was named Aphrodite Melainis, located near the city gates in an area known as “Craneion”. It is the resting place of Lais, who was a famous prostitute in Greek history. This suggests that there was a connection with ritual prostitution within temples of Aphrodite.<ref name=":0"/>

There is a report that was found of an epigram of [[Simonides]] commemorating the prayer of the prostitutes of Corinth on behalf of the salvation of the Greeks from the invading [[Achaemenid Empire]] in the [[Greco-Persian Wars]] of the  early fifth century BCE. Both temple prostitutes and priestesses prayed to Aphrodite for help, and were honoured for their potent prayers, which Greek citizens believed contributed to the repelling of the Persians.<ref name=":1" />

Athenaeus also alludes to the idea that many of Aphrodite’s temples and sanctuaries were occupied by temple prostitutes. These prostitutes were known to practise sexual rituals in different cities which included Corinth, Magnesia, and Samos.<ref>Manning, W. "The Double Tradition of Aphrodite's Birth and Her Semitic Origins". ''Scripta Mediterranea'', Vol. 23, Mar. 2015, https://scripta.journals.yorku.ca/index.php/scripta/article/view/40023.</ref>