It is also called the "oldest profession" and probably not without reason, as prostitution has been around for thousands of years. Whether practiced for financial gain, protection, or as a means of exchange, women and men have been found selling their bodies almost since the dawn of civilization.
Over the centuries, despite giving their bodies away, some women have managed to overcome the stigma of the profession, shine and write their names in history. Let's take a look at some of them.
Rahab
The story of Rahab is told in the sixth book of the Hebrew Tanak and the Old Testament, "Jesus of Navi". An independent and intelligent woman, she maintained her own brothel beside the walls of Jericho at a time when the city was under siege by the Israelites under Joshua.
Before Joshua invaded the city, he had sent two spies to Rahab to determine the military strength that the Israelite army would face. When the soldiers were sent from Jericho to capture the spies, the woman hid them in piles of flax and barley. Fearing the wrath of the Israelites, the prostitute had agreed to help the spies on the condition that they would spare her life and that of her family.
In order for her house to stand out and escape the complete destruction of the city, Rahab had placed a red ribbon on the front door. In fact, it has been theorized that from this fact came the tradition of houses with red lights on the outside, a timeless symbol of brothels!
Thais
The Hetaira of antiquity, Thais, was no ordinary woman of the time, for she lived next door to the greatest recruiter the ancient world knew: Alexander the Great! Although it is not known whether Thais "worked" for Alexander, Alexander wanted to "keep her with him", even though she was the mistress of Ptolemy I, according to the Atheneos.
Thais not only stood by the great general's side but was also the one who instigated the fire at Persepolis. The woman gave a speech in the palace of the legendary Persian city in which she called for the destruction of the building. Reportedly, a torch was even thrown by her at the building, which was interpreted as an act of revenge against Xerxes for the fire on the Acropolis of Athens during the Persian Wars.
Phryne
Phryne was perhaps the most famous Hetaira of ancient Greece. She was born in 371 BC and her real name was Mnisareti and her beauty famous. At one point she was accused by an old lover of trying to introduce a foreign deity into the city and corrupting young women.
In court, she was defended by the orator Hyperides. When she seemed to be losing the case, according to the Atheneos, Hyperides hastily stripped her of her clothes and revealed her naked body to the judges. Seeing her incomparable beauty, they felt compassion and finally decided that they could not condemn to death "a prophetess and priestess of Aphrodite" and therefore acquitted her.
Su Xiaoxiao
Also known as "Little Su", Su Xiaoxiao was a Chinese prostitute and poetess who lived during the Southern Qi Dynasty (479-502 AD). She became famous for her beauty as well as her spirit. Although she shared her body with poor people, she became most famous for her poetry.
"Little Su" died of an incurable disease at the age of only 19. When she learned that she was dying, she devoted the rest of her time to poetry. Although her tomb remained untouched for centuries, it was eventually destroyed during the Mao Cultural Revolution but rebuilt in 2004.
Madame du Barry
The Countess of Bari was the last mistress of King Louis XIV of France and fell victim to the period of terror of the French Revolution.
She began working in Paris with aristocratic clients who paid her for her services. To become the king's mistress, she conducted a sham marriage with her brother, falsifying documents to make it appear that she was 3 years younger. At the same time, she invented a false bloodline that gave her a noble ancestry.
Within a year, she managed to get the title of mistress to the King of France from a woman on the street. However, the time in which she achieved this was not the best, as the era of terrorism soon began. Her close relationship with Louis IED earned her a "date" with the guillotine, where she was beheaded on December 8, 1793.
Mary Boleyn
The Queen of England's lesser-known sister, Anna Boleyn, often lived in the shadow of her younger sister. She was a mistress and even earned the title of "the English mare" in France, with the French king calling her "an astonishing but above all infamous prostitute".
She used her sexuality to win the favor of the powerful and was the mistress of both English and French kings. It is believed that she died at the age of 40 or 41, although her whereabouts remain unknown.
Mary lost royal favor after marrying a man of the lower social class, and after her sister's execution, she fell out of favor in France.
Veronica Franco
Veronica grew up with a very good upbringing. Her mother taught her at an early age what means were available to her to attract a wealthy husband. As a young woman, she married a doctor, but the marriage fell apart. She soon turned to prostitution in the courtyard of Venice to earn a living.
However, in addition to sexually pleasing the aristocrats of Venice, he devoted himself to writing and publishing poetry. She was successful in both fields and acquired a large fortune, some of which she used for charities for children of her colleagues, while successfully dealing with accusations of magic. Her traces are lost after she left Venice due to the plague in 1575. It is believed that she died in poverty, after the death of her last benefactor.
Kathryn Walters
Walters became known as the last great Hetaira of the Victorian era. A famous lady of London, she met countless "benefactors" and left the aristocracy speechless with both her physical talents and her deep spirituality. "She had the warmest heart I know, and she must be the only prostitute in history who left her heart untouched," a British poet and loyal customer wrote of her.
Beautiful, clever, elegant and discreet, Kathryn Walters was loved in her time and her every move caused scandal and lust. Men gathered in droves in London's Hyde Park to admire her on her horse, and of course, jealous women to see for themselves the Hetaira who set new fashion standards with each of her appearances!
Her clients even included the future King of England, Edward VII, but also Emperor Napoleon III! She gained a fortune due to her privacy and for no talking about her clients, which led to many aristocrats favoring her. Unlike most of her colleagues, Walters lived to be 80 years old and enjoyed the rigors of her life.
