The engaging new book charts the colourful history and sale of sex from Renaissance Italy’s business-savvy courtesans to Regency Britain’s Molly houses.  

Harlots, Whores & Hackabouts: A History of Sex for Sale, by British author Kate Lister, takes readers on an international tour of how sex work was carried out, perceived and regulated during different periods of history, dating back to the Ancient World.

The book, divided into chapters focusing on a different era, contains fascinating anecdotes about key sex workers, including the famed Phryne of Ancient Greece, who was said to be so beautiful that simply the sight of her bare breasts was enough to spare her the death penalty. 

Queen of the courtesans: The first celebrity courtesan was Imperia Cognati, also known as Imperia La Divina, or queen of the courtesans. Among her patrons was Raphael, who painted this portrait. Imperia is one of the sex workers featured in Harlots, Whores & Hackabouts: A History of Sex for Sale, by British author Kate Lister, which offers a history of sex work

Queen of the courtesans: The first celebrity courtesan was Imperia Cognati, also known as Imperia La Divina, or queen of the courtesans. Raphael was one her patrons. Imperia is one of the sex workers featured in Harlots, Whores & Hackabouts: A History of Sex for Sale, by British author Kate Lister, which offers a history of sex work

Elsewhere, readers are introduced to Elizabeth Moryng, a conniving madame and ‘procureress’ who duped young women into prostitution in Medieval London. 

In each case Lister examines the historical, cultural, and social context in which sex workers, mainly women but also men, were operating. She is particularly concerned with how prostitution was controlled. 

This included the occasional state-licensed brothel, like Paris’s Le Chabanais, which boasted themed rooms and claimed to have been frequented by everyone from Cary Grant to Humphrey Bogart and Edward VII. 

FEMAIL features some of Lister’s most memorable characters.  

ANCIENT HARLOT WHO “CIVILISED” A ‘WILDMAN’ WITH SEX 

Ancient mention: Shamhat the Harlot appears in the Epic of Gilgamesh, an epic poem from ancient Mesopotamia that is regarded as the earliest surviving notable literature and the second oldest religious text, after the Pyramid Texts. Pictured, an orthostates depicting Gilgamesh between two minotaur demigods holding up the sun disc, from the 9th century BC

Ancient mention: Shamhat The Harlot appears in Epic of Gilgamesh. It is an epic poem from ancient Mesopotamia. It is the second oldest religious text and the oldest surviving literature. Pictured is an orthostates depicting Gilgamesh with two minotaur demigods, holding the sun disc. It dates back to the 9th century BC

Shamhat the Harlot appears in the Epic of Gilgamesh, an epic poem from ancient Mesopotamia that is regarded as the earliest surviving notable literature and the second oldest religious text, after the Pyramid Texts.

It also contains one of the earliest known stories of transactional sex in all of history. 

The story centers around Gilgamesh (king of Uruk) and Enkidu (wild man created by gods to stop Gilgamesh’s oppression of the people of Uruk). 

Lister says that Enkidu lived among the beasts in the wild. Lister writes that Enkidu was covered in long hair, grazed on grass with gazelles, and drank at the waterhole where he “delighted with the beasts in it”. 

On learning of his rival, Gilgamesh sends Shamhat the harlot to ‘civilise’ Enkidu with sex, or, as he puts it: to ‘strip off her raiment to reveal her charms’ and ‘do for the man the workd of the woman’. 

Everything went according to plan. Lister says that Shamhat undrewn her loin cloth, she let loose her sex, and he inhaled her charms. She didn’t recoil, but she inhaled his scent. He laid on her and she spread her clothes. 

“She did for the men the work of a lady, his passion caressed him and embraced them. Enkidu was in a relationship with Shamhat for six and seven nights. 

Enkidu realizes that he is no longer wild after the encounter. Later, Enkidu travels to Uruk to challenge Gilgamesh to a showdown.  

COURTESAN SENTENCE OF DEATH SPARED FOR HER BREASTS

Worshiped: Ancient Greek courtesan Phryne, from the 4th century BC, was said to be the 'most beautiful woman in the world' and was able to build a vast fortune thanks to charging men for her company. She is best known for being spared the death penalty due to her looks

Worshiped by: The 4th century BC Greek courtesan Phryne was considered to be the’most beautiful woman’ in the world and was able to make a fortune by charging men for her company. Her looks are what make her famous.

The 4th century BC Greek courtesan Phryne was considered to be the’most beautiful woman’ in the world and was able build a large fortune by charging men for her company. 

She was born in Thespiae (Boeotia), but she lived at Athens. There she enjoyed beauty and wit so much that she offered rebuilding the walls of Thebes on the condition that Phryne the courtesan inscribe the words ‘destroyed Alexander, restored by Phryne’ upon them. The city denied. 

Contemporary writers including Callistratus, Timocles and Amphis all recorded her impressive fortune – a sign that she knew how much she was worth as a courtesan. 

Today, however, she is most remembered for her trial in which she was facing death penalty. 

The exact charge is lost to the sands time. However, it is possible that it was blasphemy since she posed for Aphrodite as a sculptor, and a painter. 

The orator Hypereides, one her lovers, defended her. He undressed Phryne in front the jury when the trial turned against her. 

Pseudo–Plutarch, the author, wrote that he had ‘opened her clothes before and exposed her naked breasts. They were so wheite that for her beauty’s sake, the judges acquitted them’.

Lister points out that this trial almost certainly didn’t happen and its lasting legacy speaks more about how Phryne has captured poets’ and artists imaginations for centuries. 

BRITISH PROCURESS WHO DUPED GIRLS TO PROSTITUTION 

Readers will meet Elizabeth Moryng in Medieval London. She was accused of being a common harlot, procuress’ on July 27, 1385. 

Moryng claimed to be an embroiderer. She would recruit young women by pretending to need apprentices. 

They were actually made to sell their own bodies for money.

Johanna, a recruit, shared how Elizabeth had ordered her to accompany a chaplain home for one night. 

Johanna, unaware what was expected of it, agreed. 

The next day, she returned home to Moryng. After it was discovered that she hadn’t been paid, she was sent back by him to steal.  

Johanna claimed that other women had been retained in a similar manner for Moryng.  

ITALY’S QUEEN OF COURTESANS 

Royal ties: A glamorous courtesan who lived in Renaissance Italy was Veronica Franco, an accomplished writer and poet who is said to have counted the King of France among her lovers

Royal ties: A glamorous courtesan who lived in Renaissance Italy was Veronica Franco, an accomplished writer and poet who is said to have counted the King of France among her lovers

… AND IT IS THE MOST FAMOUS 

Another glamorous courtesan, Veronica Franco, was a Renaissance Italian poet and writer who was said to have loved the King of France. 

She wrote both about the pain of her life and the misery that she experienced, as well the details about her sexual relationships.

In 1575, she wrote: “So sweet, delicious do I become” / when I am with a man / whom I sense loves and enjoys / that my pleasure exceeds all delight / so is the knot, however tight / it seemed previously / is even tighter still.

Her fortunes declined not long thereafter. Her reputation was ruined when she was accused of witchcraft in 1580. Three years later, she was still working in low-grade brothels. 

She died at 45 in 1591. 

The creation of a new type of sex worker in the 15th century was the courtesan. 

The Papal courtiers were prohibited from marrying and hired female escorts in order to accompany them to their functions. 

These women were paid, but they were not’marriageable’. However, they were still educated and knowledgeable enough in social etiquette so that they could participate in court life.

Thus was born the courtesan. This spread from Rome and other parts of Europe. 

Imperia Cognati was the first celebrity courtesan, also known as Imperia la Divina or queen of courtesans. 

She was said to be the daughter of a ‘dishonourable woman’ and Paris de Grassis, master of ceremonies of Pope Julius II, writes Lister. 

She was certainly successful. When she was 20 years old, her patrons included Agostino Chigi, a banker from Italy who gave her enough money for a palace in Rome as well as a second home in Italy. 

Raphael was another patron, whom she also served as a model. 

But her life was cut short. 26-year old, she died of poisoning in August 1512 from suspected poisoning. It is not clear if the poisoning was suicide or murder. 

Chigi continued to lavish her, even after her death, and paid for a stately funeral at Rome. 

MOLLY HOUSES ARE CRACKED 

Pushing boundaries: Sodomy was a capital offence in England from 1533 to 1861. Despite the threat of death, 'molly houses' began to spring up in 18th century London as meeting places for homosexual men. Some would adopt feminine behaviours and voices, or dress as women. Above, a painting depicting the 'transmutation of sexes', with a man in women's clothing

Limits being pushed: Sodomy was a capital crime in England between 1533 and 1861. Despite the threat to death,’mollyhouses’ began to appear in 18th century London as a place to meet homosexual men. Some would adopt feminine behaviors and voice, or dress as women. Above, a picture depicting the “transmutation of sexes”, with a woman in women’s clothing.

From 1533 to 1861, sodomy was a capital offense in England. Despite the threat to death,’mollyhouses’ were set up in 18th century London to accommodate homosexual men.  

The name was taken directly from Miss Molly, the popular term for gay men, or simply ‘Molly.

Lister writes that a molly house is not technically a brothel. It was a place where gay men could socialize and have sex. 

“Sex was available in these establishments and many of the sex workers met their customers here, but that was not the primary purpose. These were social spaces where you could have sexual encounters, some of it being sold and some not. 

Some people would adopt feminine behaviors and voice, or dress like women.  

Lister says that despite the growth of molly houses and the establishment’s contempt for their patrons there were very few sodomy cases at the Old Bailey during the first years of the 18th Century. This was changed at the end of 17th century. 

Lister describes the raid against a molly house that was being run by Mother Clap. 

It was aided by the 1725 testimony of one police constable, who wrote: ‘I found between 40 and 50 men making love to one another, as they call’d it. Sometimes they would kiss one another in a sexual manner and sometimes sit on each other’s laps. 

“Then they would dance and make curtsies and mimic the voices of women… Next, they’d hug, play and toy and then go out as couples to another room on the same level, to be married, as they called it.    

This testimony was merged with accounts by Thomas Newton, a ‘he-trumpet”, who was forced to work with the authorities. 

He related how he was sexually abused by the owner of another mole house, and gave the names the regulars at Mother Clap’s. It led to the execution of three patrons. 

Harlots, Whores & Hackabouts: A History of Sex for Sale, by Kate Lister, published by Thames & Hudson is out now