Was the Oldest Profession a Profession?

We interview  Dr. Thomas A. J. McGinn about Roman prostitution, marriage laws, and a strange Cinderella story.

What was a paterfamilias and how did they determine a woman’s life? Were prostitutes merely doing their civic duty? Why did early Christians call the Roman government the pimp-in-chief?

Autonomy and agency are the overarching themes of this episode. We explore them in laws governing Roman women, how prostitution was legislated and profited from in Ancient Rome, why sex work isn’t the right term for the Roman world, and why even empresses weren’t immune from slander. Imperial Japan's “comfort women,” Marie Antoinette, and Iran’s headscarf laws are part of this story too. But we start with an actress named Theodora.

CW: This episode discusses themes of rape and sexual exploitation.

Women Who Went Before is written, produced, and edited by Emily Chesley and Rebekah Haigh.

The music is composed and produced by Moses Sun.

Episode show notes: womenwhowentbefore.com/the-oldest-profession/.

Sponsored by the Center for Culture, Society, and Religion, the Program in Judaic Studies, and the Stanley J. Seeger Center for Hellenic Studies at Princeton University.

Views expressed on the podcast are solely those of the individuals, and do not represent Princeton University.