Prostitution in Ibiza in the Phoenician and Roman times.

We look for the origins and development of prostitution in the history of the Balearic Islands, and, if we really want to know them, we must dive through the dark areas of the past until the gestation of the ancient civilizations that influenced these rich cultures.

The great conquests, as well as the ambition of the merchants for silver, copper, gold, tools, spices, human labor in the form of slaves, and the wisdom of their doctors and artisans, contributed to the environment of these islands from the distant Hittite civilization, the later Carthaginian, and the Saracen very varied influences.

These influenced all the populations near the ports, which were the ones that absorbed it, elaborating their own mode of behavior that led to greater moral freedom, enriching the Ibosim in many aspects far removed from what was later established by the current Roman domination. Judeo-Christian civilization, (enduring in these uses until very close to our days).

Before the expansion of the Romans through the Mediterranean basin, barter between people of legal age estimated around 16 years, or, in an experiential way, after puberty in both men and women being free beings, was totally allowed, in even, well seen, there were also no sexual taboos that until recently plagued us regarding both female and male homosexuality.

The fornis implied free behavior, although it was sought by the elite to control and even charge for personal dealings, thus they led to the creation of lupanares, protected places where magnifying glasses could negotiate with their bodies but where prostitutes or triads they charged a percentage.

The Espitria was the currency that was used in ancient Rome and its territories for the payment of the service of whores and zagales; this included the percentage due to the rulers.

Among the upper classes, among their courtesans and courtiers there were also relations of this order, indeed, the members of this class did not consider themselves whores or young men, nor did they have to work in a brothel to negotiate their charms - they used to make themselves pay for their sexual favors in privileges, lands or slaves, in jewels and possessions, while the lower classes behaved as they currently trade their bodies and their attentions in order to obtain a better quality of life and the less gifted only to survive.

The island of Ibiza, within the group of Mediterranean islands, constituted a prominent supply point in the old maritime maps managed by travelers, merchants, pirates and corsairs, for all types of boats as a place to provide water, food, grain, and Articles of commerce essential for your voyages.

It is the geographical situation that naturally placed Eivissa on one of the sides of the privileged triangle of maritime trade, as well as the benign climate, and the blessed presence of drinking water.

If the volcano that exploded on the island of La Palma is creating a new inlet where perhaps the boats that lead to the Canary Islands will be able to dock, here we have a more stable orography with coves to take shelter and good ports with deep anchorages that have been used since ancient times. .

Indeed, since the time of the Phoenicians there is evidence that the islands supplied labor power and also carnal pleasure to the embarked crews.

The Balearic Islands were a place of passage for many merchants who sailed through this ancient sea; The ports of Ibiza and Majorca enjoyed great traffic, merchants from North Africa met sailors from Italy and France who met on our islands to exchange spices, ceramics, glass and fabrics, indolently blowing their culture and expanding the shape to conceive the world of the Ibizans.

For this reason we can affirm that for centuries we can date meetings with escort girls in Ibiza, luxury courtesans, prostitutes with low prices and women who served in diners.

We have also tried to investigate the existence of shemale in ancient Hispania, certainly there is not much data about it, but there are some writings in Roman documents that speak about effeminate men who dressed as women, a ladyboy homosexuality dating back to the 5th century.

Travelers on the islands also found solace for their minds and bodies, specifically in the area of the Marina of Ibiza (as an area adjacent to the port congregated brothels and pleasure houses), there young men and women come from other lands, from the peninsula Iberian, from France and further afield, others from Africa through lust fighting for their survival.

These old brothels or brothels were run by a pimp (man or woman) in charge of collection and control, for the collection of these special services a coin created specifically with a spurious shield and the image of Venus.

In those ancient times, pimps had a nickname, it has been seen that they were also called in the Pitiusas, they were known as Lenos, and prostitutes were known as Lupas, hence the word Lupanar that is an actual Brothel.

Nor did the local inhabitants deprive themselves of these pleasures; Those who did not want to travel to the Marina in the port of the city of Ibiza to have a paid sexual encounter found some courtesans in the surroundings of Santa Gertrudis, where they were found during recent years.during recent excavations vestiges of buildings and the aforementioned coins.

Orally transmitted stories assert that in the old town where the town of Jesús is today some people prostituted themselves in their private residences, working independently.

Power, sex, survival, is the story of our land, perhaps on the Island of the utopia of free love, of living and letting live, of enjoying every minute we let ourselves be fooled for a while, with pleasure.