Public Gates

Hesychius, delta 839

“The Demian Gates: Common gates, since prostitutes stood in front of those gates. Antipater used to call female genitals “public”. Some call these the Kerameikan gates. For people say that prostitutes stood there too. He said Demian gates instead of Diomian because of the closeness of the names”

Δημίασι πύλαις· κοιναῖς, ἐπεὶ προεστήκεσαν ἐν ταῖς πύλαις αἱ πόρναι. ὁ δὲ ᾿Αντίπατρος τὸ γυναικεῖον μόριον δημόσιον ἔφη. οἱ δὲ τὰς Κεραμεικὰς πύλας· πρὸς γὰρ αὐτάς φασιν ἑστάναι τὰς πόρνας. μήποτε οὖν ἀντὶ τοῦ Διομῇσι πύλαις Δημίασιν  εἶπεν διὰ τὴν ἐγγύτητα τῶν ὀνομάτων.

0953 - Keramikos cemetery, Athens - Grave for Ierònimos - Photo by Giovanni Dall'Orto, Nov 12 2009.jpg
Ruins of the gravestone for actor Hieronymos (left side) in the Ancient Greek Kerameikos Cemetery (Athens).

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