Hetaerai were often depicted in art mingling with mixed company and participating as if they belonged there. These women were sometimes granted more freedom intellectually than their more "respectable" counterparts, which is one of the things that made them so unique for their time.

Despite this, these women were known to be capable of intellectual discussion and had knowledge of art and literature that could be lacking in many high society women of the time. It is important to remember, however, that hetaerai were not prostitutes. They did not sell sex or work out of brothels. They sold a dream of love, and the men came to them to fulfill those desires. It's been said that the Hetairai were th precursor for the Venetian Courtesans.

Read More: Hetaerai and High Priced Courtesans