other women from
assaults on their virtue. In later times prostitution was accepted as
inevitable, but it was not organized by the city. Salvianus (fifth
century, A.D.) represents the brothels as tolerated by the Roman law in
order to prevent adultery.[1872] Lupanars continued to exist from Roman
times until the Middle Ages. Those in southern Europe were recruited
from the female pilgrims from the north who set out for Rome or
Palestine and whose means failed them.[1873] It is another social
phenomenon due to poverty and to a specious argument of protection to
women in a good position. This argument came down by tradition with the
institution. The city council of Nuremberg stated, as a reason for
establishing a lupanar, that the church allowed harlots in order to
prevent greater evils.[1874] This statement, no doubt, refers to a
passage in Augustine, _De Ordine_:[1875] "What is more base, empty of
worth, and full of vileness than harlots and other such pests? Take away
harlots from human society and you will have tainted everything with
lust. Let them be with the matrons and you will produce contamination
and disgrace. So this class of persons, on account of their morals, of a
most shameless life, fills a most vile function under the laws of
order." The bishop had laid down the proposition that evil things in
human society, under the great orderly scheme of things which he was
trying to expound, are overruled to produce good. He then sought
illustrations to prove this. The passage quoted is one of his
illustrations. Everywhere else in his writings where he mentions harlots
he expresses the greatest abomination of them. His general proposition
is fallacious and extravagant, and he had to strain the cases which he
alleged as illustrations, but he was a church father, and five hundred
years later no one dared criticise or dissent from anything which he had
said. It went far beyond the incidental use of an illustration made by
him, to cite the passage, with his authority, for a doctrine that cities
might wisely establish lupanars in order to prevent sex vice, especially
in the interest of virtuous women.[1876] Such houses were maintained
without secrecy or shame. Queen Joanna of Naples made ordinances for a
lupanar at Avignon, in 1347, when it was the papal residence. Generally
the house was rented to a "host" under stipulations as to the food,
dress, and treatment of the inmates, and regulations as to order,
gambling, etc.[