There’s a curiosity that belongs to historical Roman historical past which historians are but to unravel; there exists a set of Roman brass cash or tokens that depict sexual acts on one aspect and a numeral on the opposite. They weren’t a part of the conventional moneyed economic system and so they have been used for simply a short while within the first century. These so-called Roman intercourse cash might have been used to acquire entry to brothels, pay prostitutes and even operate very like a modern-day menu, the place clients who didn’t communicate Latin might handover the token depicting the act they desired. However the reality is, noone actually is aware of.

In the present day, there’s a sturdy, unfavourable stigma surrounding the occupation of prostitution. It’s typically seemed upon as “sinful”, “detestable”, and “shameful”—each for the prostitute and the participant. In historical Rome, whereas everybody actually had their very own views of the observe, it was way more socially acceptable. In truth, brothels have been considerably of a staple in trip cities like Pompeii and Herculaneum. (Which is useful for archaeologists, as each these websites stays “frozen” in time.) These staples finally grew to encourage their very own type of coinage, known as spintriae within the Medieval interval (although this title is deceptive in historical data). The prevalence of prostitution in Roman culture is highlighted via the vast circulation of those cash, and the plethora of images within the aforementioned trip websites in southern Italy.

Historical Intercourse Tokens – A Completely different Form of Coinage

Roman brothel tokens have been fairly apparent to the on a regular basis money-handler. The token had varied sexual acts depicted on each the entrance and rear of the cash, normally the members on the coin within the act of intercourse. Some depicted phalluses as a substitute, full-formed and infrequently with wings connected, seemingly indicating the virility of the person utilizing the coin. Whereas male prostitutes and feminine members weren’t unusual, it was way more widespread—so far as literature can inform—that rich males sought the corporate of a meretrix, or authorized feminine prostitute.

Additionally it is notable that the tokens predominately depict male-female relations fairly than relations of the identical intercourse, seemingly indicating that homosexuality (at the very least outward homosexuality ) had grow to be far much less acceptable by the point of the Romans than it was for his or her predecessors in ancient Greece.

nineteenth century engraving of “Spintriae” (Roman brothel tokens) purportedly present in Pompeii. ( Public Domain )

Roman Intercourse Menu

One of the outstanding theories in regards to the creation and goal of the cash was to promote the costs of sexual acts. Additional, in passing a coin between two individuals—i.e., the customer and the “vendor”—one might preserve a stage of privateness. This might have been significantly vital to these of excessive standing who didn’t need their late night time dalliances identified. It’s believed by some students that “the intercourse act depicted on every coin corresponds to the worth listed on the other face,” which has additionally been thought-about intelligent as it’s “a system that may even have helped dissolve language obstacles”.

If this concept is true, then one should contemplate that the cash themselves weren’t types of fee; fairly, they have been extra akin to calling playing cards or order slips. As one would say, “I would really like a quantity 4” at McDonald’s and pay for his or her meals on the window, an historical Roman would cross the token after which subsequently pay for the service earlier than or after it occurred.

A newer discover of a Roman brothel token in London, known as the “Putney token” for the bridge it was discovered close to, was examined in 2012. As it’s identified the Romans had forts, camps, and many others. in historical Britain, the speculation that these cash have been used to get round language obstacles is furthered. Britain’s Romanization was gradual, thus so was the unfold of the Roman language; nevertheless, a picture of sexual activity is universally understood.

A Roman brothel token. (Mathias Kabel/ CC BY SA 3.0 )

Had been the Tokens an Early Type of Cost?

It’s potential that these tokens have been in some unspecified time in the future used as a type of fee. Regardless of circulating solely in brothels and between patrons and sellers, there is a sign that it might have been within the members’ finest pursuits if the cash have been value one thing. In accordance with Geoffrey Fishburn from the Social Sciences Division of the College of NSW in his article ‘ Is that a spintria in your pocket, or are you just pleased to see me? ’, it might be extraordinary of this have been the case as a result of “then we now have proof of a definite sub-economy inside the bigger Roman economic system, one with its personal distinctive market (for intercourse), and spintriae as a selected kind of coin destined for particular makes use of; no different market, as far as I’m conscious, was so privileged.”

Cassius Dio, a Roman historian within the third century AD, recounts one story throughout the reign of Caracalla wherein a coin bearing the face of the emperor was utilized in a brothel. This was seemingly seen as an insult to the emperor, and the person who used the coin was sentenced to loss of life:

“A younger knight carried a coin bearing his picture right into a brothel, and informers reported it; for this the knight was on the time imprisoned to await execution, however later was launched, because the emperor died within the meantime.”
-Cassius Dio, 16.5.

Bust of the emperor Caracalla. ( CC BY 2.5 )

Granted, Caracalla has been described as one of many extra temperamental emperors of the Roman Empire and maybe reacted way more angrily than one other emperor on this place would have; but this story signifies the that it may be finest to maintain sexual favors and imperial coinage separate from each other.

A Completely different Perspective

Prostitution was way more of a suitable “profession alternative” (it wasn’t essentially a alternative) in historical Rome than many consider; the present stigma of prostitution has broken the popularity of what many contemplate the oldest occupation in historical past. Roman historians Livy, whose Historical past of Rome is complete, and Tacitus, credited as one of many higher surviving sources of Roman tradition and battle, each dictate that prostitutes typically had optimistic reputations, and infrequently got here from good households.

Emperor Augustus inspired the occupation, making it “neither unlawful nor stigmatized in historical Rome, and in reality it was common for an independent-minded upper-class girl to grow to be a courtesan; when Augustus determined to encourage copy within the higher courses by taxing single grownup patricians, many ladies registered as whores in order to keep away from being pressured to marry.” (McNeill)

Thus, one ought to be cautious about placing one’s personal cultural views on the traditional place, because the inflow of Roman tokens discovered solely furthers the truth that prostitution was a extremely revered area for a very long time.

‘The Empire of Flora’ (circa 1743) by Giovanni Battista Tiepolo. ( Public Domain ) Based mostly on Ovid’s account of the Floralia, a competition to the Roman goddess Flora involving prostitutes.

Nonetheless, on the finish of the day, there’s nonetheless no certainty round how these Roman intercourse tokens have been used. They might have been nothing greater than recreation items, tokens for seats on the theatre, and even cash used on the communal baths. On the very least, they present that the Romans weren’t conservative when it got here to their sexual appetites.

High Picture: A Pompeii brothel mural. (Thomas Shahan/ CC BY 2.0 ) Insert: A Roman brothel token.

By Riley Winters

Up to date on August 3, 2021.