Nikarete of Corinth

Nikarete of Corinth

Nikarete was a madam from Corinth, who lived in the 5th and 4th centuries BC. Nikarete operated a "bettering" establishment in Corinth, a city famous in antiquity for its prostitution trade. From Corinth and Greek literature comes the verb korinthiazein, which loosely translated means "to fornicate". She bought young girls from the Corinth slave market and trained them as hetaera, to let them make their own living. Through this parental relationship Nikarete sought to increase the price her customers had to pay (free women were usually higher in demand). Nikarete's most famous hetaera was Neaira, whom she bought along with six other girls and treated them as her own. There is a possibility that Nikarete was not a single individual or even a real person. The name Nikarete has either been attributed to artistic interpretation or to an error in referring to different individuals (Neaira or Nikarete of Megara).

References

This article incorporates information from the German Wikipedia.

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  • Nikarete — is the name of some ancient Greek women:* Nikarete of Corinth, a madam * Nikarete of Megara, a hetaira * a woman from Athens, known for her grave …   Wikipedia

  • Metaneira (hetaera) — Metaneira (Μετάνειρα) was an active hetaera in the Corinth and Athens of ancient Greece. She was known for her beauty and shrewdness. As a child, she was purchased by Nikarete of Corinth. She was raised as a daughter, and molded into a hetaera.… …   Wikipedia

  • Neaira (hetaera) — Neaira Born 4th century BC Died 4th century BC Occupation Hetaera Neaira, or Neaera, (pronounced neh EYE ruh ) (Νέαιρα ) was a hetaera who lived in the 4th century BC in ancient Greece; there is no reliable data about the exact dates of her birth …   Wikipedia

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