Editing Sacred prostitution (section)

== Ancient Greece and Hellenistic world ==

===Ancient Greece===
{{Main|Sacred prostitution in ancient Greece}}
{{See also|Prostitution in ancient Greece#Temple prostitution in Corinth}}
The Greek term ''hierodoulos'' or ''hierodule'' has sometimes been taken to mean ''sacred holy woman'', but it is more likely to refer to a former slave freed from slavery in order to be dedicated to a god.<ref name="Budin3">{{harvnb|Budin|2008}}; more briefly the case that there was no sacred prostitution in Greco-Roman Ephesus {{harvnb|Baugh|1999}}; see also the book review by Vinciane Pirenne-Delforge, [http://bmcr.brynmawr.edu/2009/2009-04-28.html Bryn Mawr Classical Review, April 28, 2009] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140112120922/http://bmcr.brynmawr.edu/2009/2009-04-28.html |date=12 January 2014 }}.</ref>

There were different levels of prostitutes within Ancient Greek society, but two categories are specifically related to sacred or temple prostitution. The first category are ''hetaires'', also known as courtesans, typically more educated women that served within temples. The second category are known as ''hierodoules'', slave women or female priests who worked within temples and served the sexual requests of visitors to the temple.<ref>{{cite journal|last1=TSOUCALAS|first1=Gregory|last2=MICHALEAS|first2=Spyros|last3=ANDROUTSOS|first3=Georges|last4=VLAHOS|first4=Nikolaos|last5=KARAMANOU|first5=Marianna|title=Female prostitution, hygiene, and medicine in ancient Greece: A peculiar relationship|date=2021|journal=Archives of the Balkan Medical Union|volume=56|issue=2|pages=229–233|doi=10.31688/ABMU.2021.56.2.12|s2cid=237858610|doi-access=free}}</ref>

While there may not be a direct connection between temples and prostitution, many prostitutes and courtesans worshipped Aphrodite, the goddess of love. Prostitutes would use their earnings to pay for dedications and ritualistic celebrations in honour of Aphrodite. Some prostitutes also viewed the action of sexual service and sexual pleasure as an act of devotion to the goddess of love, worshipping Aphrodite through an act rather than a physical dedication.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Cyrino|first=Monica Silveira|title=Aphrodite|publisher=Routledge|year=2012|isbn=9781136615917}}</ref>

In the temple of Apollo at [[Bulla Regia]], a woman was found buried with an inscription reading: "Adulteress. Prostitute. Seize [me], because I fled from Bulla Regia." It has been speculated she might have been a woman forced into sacred prostitution as a punishment for adultery.<ref name=St/>

==== 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>

==== Signs of sacred prostitution within Minoan Crete ====
Some evidence of sacred prostitution was evident in [[Minoan Crete]]. The building in question is known as the "East Building", but was also referred to as "the House of the Ladies" by the excavator of the building. Some believe that the architecture of this building seemed to reflect the grooming needs of women, but could also have been a [[brothel]] for high status individuals.<ref name=":4">{{Cite journal|last=Platon|first=Lefteris|date=2015|title=Sacred Prostitution in Minoan Crete? A New Interpretation of Some Old Archaeological Findings|journal=Journal of Ancient Egyptian Interconnections|volume=7|issue=3|pages=76–89|doi=10.2458/azu_jaei_v07i3_platon |doi-access=free}}</ref>

The structure of the interior of the building seemed to suggest that the building was used for prostitution. Large clay vats typically used for bathing were found within the building, along with successive doors within the corridors. The successive doors suggested privacy, and within the time period, was associated with two functions: storage of valuable goods and protection of the private moments of its residents. Because the ground floors were found practically empty, the possibility that the building was used for prostitution increases.<ref name=":4" />

There were also religious embellishments found within the "East Building", such as vases and other vessels that seemed to be connected to religious rituals. The vessels were covered in motifs related to sacrilegious rituals, such as the sacral knot and the image of birds flying freely. The functions of the vessels would have been offering food or liquid in relation to the rituals. Combining these two factors, it is a possibility that sacred prostitution existed within this building.<ref name=":4" />

===Hellenistic world===
In the Greek-influenced and colonised world, "sacred prostitution" was known in [[Cyprus]]<ref>{{cite web|last1=Watson|first1=Andrea|title=It was an ancient form of sex tourism|url=http://www.bbc.com/culture/story/20161017-it-was-an-ancient-form-of-sex-tourism|publisher=BBC|access-date=18 February 2018|date=18 October 2016|archive-date=14 April 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180414024938/http://www.bbc.com/culture/story/20161017-it-was-an-ancient-form-of-sex-tourism|url-status=live}}</ref> (Greek-settled since 1100 BC), [[Sicily]]<ref>{{cite web |last1=Stupia |first1=Tiziana |title=Salome re-awakens: Beltane at the Temple of Venus in Sicily – Goddess Pages |url=https://www.goddess-pages.co.uk/salome-re-awakens-beltane-at-the-temple-of-venus-in-sicily-2/ |website=goddess-pages.co.uk |access-date=25 August 2019 |archive-date=25 August 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190825161740/https://www.goddess-pages.co.uk/salome-re-awakens-beltane-at-the-temple-of-venus-in-sicily-2/ |url-status=live }}</ref> (Hellenised since 750 BC), in the [[Kingdom of Pontus]]{{sfn|Debord|1982|p=97}} (8th century BC) and in [[Cappadocia]] (c. 330 BC hellenised).{{sfn|Yarshater|1983|p=107}} [[2 Maccabees]] ({{bibleverse||2 Maccabees|6:4–5|KJV}}) describes sacred prostitution in the [[Second Temple]] under the reign of the Hellenistic ruler [[Antiochus IV Epiphanes]].

==== Cyprus ====
A passage in Herodotus explains a Babylonian custom where before marriage, girls had to offer themselves for sex, presumably within a temple, as required by rites of a goddess equivalent to Aphrodite in their culture. [[Herodotus]] records that a similar practice or custom took place within Cyprus, with girls offering themselves up for sex as required by the rites of Aphrodite.<ref>Herodotus, ''History''. Rawlinson, G. (trans.), New York:  Tudor Publishing Company, 1936</ref> Ennius and Ovid corroborate each other on the idea that Aphrodite established the act of prostitution within the city of Cyprus.<ref name=":2">Serwint, Nancy. "Aphrodite and her Near Eastern sisters: spheres of influence". ''Engendering Aphrodite: Women and Society in Ancient Cyprus'', American Schools of Oriental Research, Boston (2002): 325–350.</ref>

A temple of Kition also shows evidence of sacred prostitution. On a marble plaque, it lists sacred prostitutes among other professions (bakers, scribes, barbers) that were part of ritual personnel at some Cypriot temples.<ref name=":2" />

==== Temple of Aphaca ====
The temple of Aphaca may be another source of evidence for temple prostitution.<ref name=":3">{{Cite journal|last=Gibson|first=Craig|date=2019|title=Temple Prostitution at Aphaca: An Overlooked Source|journal=Classical Quarterly|volume=69|issue=2|pages=928–931|doi=10.1017/S0009838819000697|s2cid=211942060}}</ref> The process is similar to regular prostitution, where male customers paid two or three obol in the form of or in addition to dedications to Aphrodite in exchange for sex with a temple prostitute. In the temple of Aphaca specifically, the men would dedicate their payment to "Cyprian Aphrodite" before engaging in sex with a temple prostitute.<ref name=":3" />