hetaera

A hetaira (; Ancient Greek: ἑταίρα, lit. 'female companion'; pl.. ἑταῖραι hetairai, ), Latinized as hetaera ( pl. hetaerae ), was a type of highly educated female companion in ancient Greece who served as an artist, entertainer, and conversationalist. Historians have often classed them as courtesans, but the extent to which they were sex workers is a matter of dispute. Custom excluded the wives and daughters of Athenian citizens from the symposium, but this prohibition did not extend to hetairai, who were often foreign-born and could be well-versed in arts, philosophy, and culture. Other female entertainers might appear in the otherwise male domain, but hetairai actively participated in conversations, including intellectual and literary discourse.