Sexual Labor in the Athenian Courts

Allison Glazebrook does an especially nice job of explicating the complexities of Athenian juridical practices. Since these texts are rarely talked about, the chapters on Alke and Simon are welcome, especially the former because it points to patterns that recur in other rhetorical depictions of prostitution and significantly brings that text into the discussion of female sexuality and prostitution in ancient Greece.

— Kate Gilhuly

Allison Glazebrook’s main contribution is to direct attention to the rhetorical and cultural constructions of sex laborers, male and female. Although the speeches discussed in the book have been studied extensively elsewhere, she manages to add new insights concerning Athenian anxieties about sex laborers and how they were manipulated by the orators.

— Joseph Roisman

[Sexual Labor in the Athenian Courts] will be a valuable addition to the library of scholars in Athenian forensic oratory and ancient sexuality and gender.

— The Classical Review

[A] splendid and important book...Glazebrook’s demonstration of the potential power of even enslaved sex laborers in Athens is a signal example of the many insights found in this volume. Scholars of Athens, and academics pursuing gender and liberation studies, are alike now indebted to Allison Glazebrook for an outstanding book, well-organized, well-researched and well-written, offering a pioneering approach to the writing of social history.

— Bryn Mawr Classical Review

A valuable contribution to the field…[Sexual Labor in the Athenian Courts] is a book which will be valuable for new students of sexuality and gender in antiquity and for experienced scholars alike...Glazebrook provides a worthwhile discussion of how the portrayal of sex labourers is used by the orators to expose and test the tensions within Athenian social norms and institutions...the book’s streamlined focus constrains discussions to the Attic orators, resulting in a tight, focused and thorough exploration of sexual labour within the genre.

— Journal of Hellenic Studies

Glazebrook’s writing is clear and to the point. The introduction’s explanation of the Athenian court system, with a map indicating potential locations of the courts, reveals two strengths of the book that will be found throughout: incorporating material evidence and maintaining accessibility for nonspecialists...The standout features of the book are its consideration of place and movement, its inclusion of material culture, its amplification of female citizenship, and its accessibility...The book achieves its aims of treating the trope of the sex laborer in the orators as a window into Athenian society.

— American Historical Review