Full Version: Brothels and prostitutes in the vicus. You're currently viewing a stripped down version of our content.
View the full version with proper formatting. Pages: 1 2. My first ever posting so apologies if this is in the wrong place or a tad trite. I want to highlight the differences between those who were forced into prostitution and those who chose to 'dabble' and had a preferential life style.
I will of course deal with Julia, Messalina and Antonia Caenis but I want to also discuss the brothels in the vicus and I was hoping that someone might be able to suggest the best resources to obtain such material for my research. I have a pile of books on Ancient Morality and attitudes towards sex etc, plus access to JSTOR and other such databases but would like to know a bit more about the brothels visited by the army, and therefore within the vicus.
All help and assistance greatly appreciated Hi Edna, Interesting topic. I cannot give more than some general clues. Don't limit your searches on JStor an elsewhere to 'vicus'; there is also the term 'canabae' for the unofficial civilian settlements outside of a camp, and be aware that troops were occasionally billeted on people in the cities cf.
For instance, the following two works I could find with a simple search in google books on "canabae" and "prostitution". Parts of R. Friedl's Der Konkubinat im kaiserzeitlichen Rom , Steiner Verlag, Stuttgart are available on google books, and include a chapter on soldier sexuality with interesting foot notes. It discusses prostitution, the use of female slaves, and the "Konkubinat" proper, so the unofficial marriages of Roman soldiers. I believe it has evidence for women in the actual camp, too.
