hetaera

See also: hetæra

English

Phryne revealed before the Areopagus (1861) by Jean-Léon Gérôme. The painting depicts Phryne, a famous hetaera of Ancient Greece, on trial before the Areopagus.

Alternative forms

• hetaira, hetæra

Etymology

From Ancient Greek ἑταῖρα (hetaîra), feminine of ἑταῖρος (hetaîros, “companion”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /hɪˈtɪəɹə/
• IPA^(key): /hɪˈtaɪɹə/

Noun

hetaera (plural hetaerae or hetaeras)

1. (historical, Ancient Greece) A highly cultivated hired female companion who would entertain upper-class male clients and might perform sex acts for them.

   Coordinate term: courtesan

   • 1957, Lawrence Durrell, Justine:

     But of course our friend is only a shallow twentieth-century reproduction of the great hetairae of the past, the type to which she belongs without knowing it, Lais, Charis and the rest...

2. A mistress.
   • 1971, Gottfried Benn, E. B. Ashton, Primal vision: selected writings:

     Woman is dethroned as the primary and supreme sex, debased into inseminable hetaera.

   • 1980, Anthony Burgess, Earthly Powers:

     Christ appeared, only to reveal himself as the naked god Pan. Ballet of hetaerae and houris, choreography by Italo Castaldi.

Derived terms

• hetaeric

Related terms

• etaerio
• hetaerism
• hetaerist

Translations

hired female companion

• Czech: hetéra (cs) f
• Danish: hetære c
• Esperanto: hetajro
• Finnish: hetaira
• French: hétaïre (fr) f
• German: Hetäre (de) f
• Greek: εταίρα (el) f (etaíra)
• Italian: etera (it) f
• Japanese: ヘタイラ (hetaira)
• Polish: hetera (pl) f
• Portuguese: hetera f, hetaira f
• Russian: гете́ра (ru) f (getéra)
• Spanish: hetera (es) f, hetaira (es) f

Further reading

• hetaira on Wikipedia.Wikipedia