Prostitution in Medieval Rhodes

Since ancient times, Rhodes has been a famous harbour, concentrating peoples from Mediterranean and Europe, of different cultures and religions, travelers of the sea who were seeking for sexual pleasure, after their long trips. A harbour like that could not be released of prostitution, especially during the Middle Ages, when whoredom expanded along with the Crusades. The 213 years (1309 – 1522) that Rhodos had been administrated by the St. John Knights, who were monks, as well, the phenomenon of prostitution took the largest dimensions, under the need of illegal love.

From the 13th century, there was already spread in Europe this philosophy for the need of toleration of prostitution, as a mean for the prevention of worse sins, like rape and adultery. On the other hand, the moral vows of the Christian Church were opposed to this philosophy and condemned whoredom, a term which had a larger meaning at those times.

For women, whores considered to be not only those who were getting paid for sexual services, working on their own or in “the houses of Joy” – brothels - but also those who where sleeping with Muslims or Jews, or with another woman’s husband or even those were non married, maintaining sexual affairs without the approval of their fathers.

For men, prostitution had an even larger meaning and was regarded not only to those who were getting payment for sexual services, but also to the Christians who were having affairs with non Christians or castrated men, the homosexuals, the rapists, the sodomites and to those who were committing bestiality.