Prostitution and Emotional Labor in Antiquity

What is it about?

Emotional labor, “the process by which workers are expected to manage their feelings in accordance with organizationally defined rules and guidelines” (Wharton 2009: 147), has been labeled a phenomenon of modern capitalism (Brents and Hausbeck 2010: 9). Using archaeological, epigraphic, and literary evidence concerning sexual labor in Greco-Roman antiquity, I argue that emotional labor existed in antiquity too – if never labelled as such. After a short overview of emotional and affective labor, Pompeii’s purpose-built brothel forms the first case study, with sexual laborers proclaiming concern for their clients, boosting their egos, and drinking with them. Expanding to representations of sexual laborers in Greco-Roman literature more broadly finds the performance of emotional labor a common literary trope. We read of historical and fictional sexual laborers performing care (sometimes authentic, sometimes not) for their clients, and of sexual laborers using this labor to mitigate economic precarity or for upward mobility. If the value of emotional labor is hard to quantify, as revealed by study of Pompeii’s forty-five graffiti with sexual acts and prices, it may have provided a competitive advantage in attracting or retaining clients in a competitive market. I end by suggesting other places to look for emotional labor in antiquity, including among individuals enslaved in domestic households, where it may have been a survival strategy.

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Photo by Artem Labunsky on Unsplash

Photo by Artem Labunsky on Unsplash

Why is it important?

This article, by acknowledging the existence and value of emotional labor, contributes to a fuller understanding of the ancient Roman economy.