Demand for prostitutes was on the agenda and relatively high. The earnings of prostitutes were subject to taxation by the state, which also, thanks to appropriate legislation, secured the money invested in the lupanaras of that time.
The owner of the carnal house – usually a man – treated prostitutes as property in which to invest. Hence, he approached the valuation of services very meticulously. He added up other goods as well – a certain innkeeper in Isernia, central Italy, did: “You got one sextarius of wine, bread for an as, goodies for two asses, a maiden for eight asses”. A lady from Pompeii wanted a little less, who presented her offer on one of the walls as follows: “Yours for two assess”.
