Part of the activity was for the worshippers to give gifts to Aphrodite, and in return receive phalluses if they showed favor in Her eyes.
[4] Another activity encompassed in the overarching category of sacred prostitution was described by Greek scholar Herodotus in his book titled The Histories, in which he partly wrote about women’s roles in their cultures.
Strabo also wrote that in respect of Greek Goddess Anaitis, there have been temples built to honor Her and male and female virgin slaves have been dedicated to Her there.
The National Archaeological Museum in Athens presents two slabs that were excavated that depict these events in the cultic brothels.
Many famous Greek prostitutes had begun their work through a cult and enhanced their reputations because of their stellar performances in these cultic brothels.
For example, Strabo points out that these “supposed” customs, which included having greater than 1,000 slaves located in a temple, would not be physically feasible, thus being clearly hyperbolic.
Additionally, Strabo argues that though scholars had proclaimed that Corinthian women were involved in sacred prostitution, the only references to this in writing through the phrase “ἐργαζομένων ἀπὸ τοῦ σώματος”.
Budin and many other Classicists deny the possibility of sacred prostitution in Corinth specifically, they do believe that it occurred in the Near East.
Verse 43 reads, “The women also with cords about them, sitting in the ways, burn bran for perfume: but if any of them, drawn by some that passeth by, lie with him, she reproacheth her fellow, that she was not thought as worthy as herself, nor her cord broken.” Many interpret this as temple prostitution, but Budin says that it does not make a reference to a temple or deity, it cannot be used as proof of such.