It did vary a lot, depending on the time (see the Lex Iulia and papia) but prostitution was mostly well accepted in ancient Rome. Although it's true that most prostitutes were slaves who were forced by their masters, there were also freedmen and foreigners. Free-born Roman women had to register with the authorities on a trade. In 40CE Caligula introduced a tax on prostitution to the amount of "the payment for one intercourse a day". There were courtesans, some extremely rich and famous. For a very detailed answer, I recommand Prostitution, Sexuality, and the Law in Ancient Rome by Thomas A. J. McGinn http://www.oxfordscholarship.com/view/10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195161328.001.0001/acprof-9780195161328 For a shorter read : Grand Valley Journal of History Volume 3 | Issue 2 Article 4 12-1-2014 The Social Effect the Law had on Prostitutes in Ancient Rome http://scholarworks.gvsu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1120&context=gvjh