The conclusion then is indisputable that only subsequently to the Wars in Asia was Roman morality undermined[172]. At the same time it is impossible from the information given above to assign any definite point of time at which brothels and public women came into vogue at Rome, or at any rate when their existence as such was officially recognized by those in charge of the police supervision of the city. With the regulations and arrangements however we are more precisely acquainted. The brothels, _lupanaria_[173], _fornicas_[174], were situated chiefly in the Second District (Secunda Regio) of the city[175], the _Coelimontana_, particularly in the Subura (Suburbana) that bordered the town-walls, lying in the Carinae,—the valley between the Coelian and Esquiline Hills. In the same district was the _Macellum magnum_, or Great Market, for all sorts of provisions[176] along the banks of the Tiber, as well as the Cookshops, Stalls or Shops (Tabernae)—of the Barbers, even of the Public Executioner[177], and the Castra peregrina, (Foreign Camp), barracks for foreign troops quartered in Rome under the Emperors as a garrison,—all circumstances that occasioned a great concourse of men[178]. To the North the Subura marched with the “Isis and Serapis”,—the Third District (Tertia Regio), where was situated the temple of Isis with its gardens and groves. The regular brothels are pictured to us as being in the highest degree uncleanly and dirty[179], so that their frequenters carried away the smell with them. They possessed a definite number of “chambers”, _Cellae_[180], and above the door of each of these was inscribed the name of the girl, that which she had adopted on her first admission[181], and the price of her embraces[182]. In each “chamber” was to be found a bed (_pavimentum_, cubiculum, pulvinar,—pavement, sleeping-place, couch), which was spread with a particular kind of coverlet, _lodix_, _lodicula_, (blanket, little blanket)[183], and a lamp, _lucerna_[184].
As for the brothel-keeper, the Romans seem to have had no special word to express this; they use in fact _leno_ in this signification, though the word properly means the Procurer who merely offers his house for the purpose, but does not keep women, giving them board and wage. Perhaps this arose from the fact that in earlier times no regular brothels existed in Rome; the women merely hired a lodging, and the owner of the house had nothing at all to do with their business, whilst the match-maker or pandar confined _his_ efforts to procuring girls for his patrons and letting out his “chambers” for a fixed charge _merces cellae_ (hire of the chamber)[185], paid by each visitor. Only when the business became more profitable, did Lenones or Lenae (Procurers, Procuresses), for women also carried on Lenocinium (procuration), actually keep girls, whom they bought, as slaves[186]. The Leno had his _Villicus puellarum_ (Superintendent of the Maids), who assigned name and price, provided the girls with clothes[187], and kept a list of them and what they earned[188]. In fact such of the women as were bond-servants were obliged,—and this applied equally to those that were not slaves,—to deliver up not merely the As for the hire of the chamber, but the whole fee as well, according to the amount fixed by the brothel-keeper (Leno)[189], though much underhand trickery of various sorts occurred in connection with this regulation[190].