Courtesan

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"You too must learn to blend like us: seen, but unseen."

―Paola teaching Ezio Auditore to hide in plain sight, 1476.

A courtesan was a woman who attended royal courts, providing entertainment and intimate companionship to nobles in exchange for wealth and status. Because of the often sexual nature of their profession, the term became a common euphemism for prostitutes of all classes during the Italian Renaissance.

The term was especially preferred by the Italian Brotherhood of Assassins, who employed organized societies of courtesans for espionage as part of a tripartite system of allies which also utilized thieves and mercenaries. The Templar Order hired their own courtesans, such as Fiora Cavazza, for covert affairs that included assassinations.

Courtesans have a long history in human civilizations with upper-class hetairai such as Aspasia becoming highly influential on the intellectual and cultural development of Athens. In China, this role was largely served by the imperial concubines.

History

Classical Antiquity

In ancient Greece, the polis of Korinth was known for its hetairai, who were regarded as one of the principal sources of revenue for the city. During the Peloponnesian War, the misthios Kassandra sought out Anthousa, the leader of the hetairai of Korinth, for information about her mother's whereabouts.

Anthousa and a hetaera meeting with Kassandra

Another prominent hetaera of this time was Aspasia, the secret leader of the Cult of Kosmos, who became the partner and lover of Athens' ruler Perikles, allowing her to hold considerable political influence. The House of Aphrodite was a popular brothel in Athens whose hetairai served the city's citizens.

During her exile from Alexandria, Queen Cleopatra of Egypt threw a number of lavish parties at Apollodorus' Estate, where she had taken refuge. These parties usually involved prostitutes who would entertain the guests.

Middle Ages

In the Abbasid Caliphate, most concubines were enslaved courtesans brought from outside the Muslim world and chosen by the caliph to be part of his harem. The harem featured a complex ranking system for concubines, with the highest attainable rank being that of umm walad, given to women who birthed a child officially acknowledged by the caliph as his. An umm walad presided over the harem and was granted considerable power and wealth, which led to the position being highly sought after. Qabiha, the secret leader of the Order of the Ancients in Baghdad, managed to attain the position after giving birth to Al-Mutawakkil's son, Abu 'Abdallah.

Another unique position within the harem was that of qiyan, or "singing girls", who held a higher social status than regular concubines and received tutoring to become poets and entertainers. The most famous qiyan in history was Arib Al-Ma'muniyya, who eventually won her freedom after living through the reigns of five different caliphs.

Rollo and a prostitute inside a brothel

During the late 9th century, brothels were present in several cities in England and Francia. Circa 875, the Viking shieldmaiden Eivor Varinsdottir visited a brothel in Colcestre in search of Rollo, finding him being hit with a whip by a prostitute, among other women serving their customers. A decade later, Eivor traveled to a brothel hidden beneath the Boatmen Baths Tavern in Paris to speak with King Charles the Fat, who was being tended to by a pair of prostitutes.

In 1191, while tracking the Templars from Acre to Cyprus, the Assassin Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad came across a brothel and its courtesans in the Merchant District of Kyrenia. The following year, Maria Thorpe disguised herself as a courtesan to infiltrate the Saint Hilarion Castle and confront Shahar about the Templars' plans with an Apple of Eden.

Renaissance

During the Renaissance, though courtesans were mainly based in brothels within a city, many were known to stand along the streets – usually in groups of four – to entice customers. Each possessed a standard style of dress and hairstyle, as was deemed appropriate for those in their profession at the time.

After the execution of his father Giovanni and brothers Federico and Petruccio, Ezio Auditore da Firenze sought sanctuary with Paola and her courtesans, who taught him how to conceal himself in a crowd, pick pockets, and be "seen, but unseen" as they were.

Ezio blending with a group of courtesans

Later, Ezio hired courtesans to distract the guards and allow his remaining family to escape Florence, and would continue to use their services from then on, usually instructing them to seduce a group of guards in order to allow him to slip past unseen. Alternatively, they would follow Ezio along the streets, concealing him among them by walking around him in a diamond formation, in a similar manner to how Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad had blended with scholars.

Upon traveling to Rome, Ezio aided the courtesans by funding the renovations for their main brothel, the Rosa in Fiore, as well as renovating smaller brothels throughout the city. After his sister Claudia took over the Rosa in Fiore's administration, he volunteered to teach the girls several skills.

Brothels were also popular in Spain during this period, with the local Thieves' Guild running their own establishment, La Reina Sonriente, in Seville. The brothel's two top courtesans, Flora de la Cruz and Angela Carillo, later went on to join the Spanish Assassins.

Golden Age of Piracy

During the early 18th century, courtesans were referred to as "dancers" and were commonly found inside taverns or on the streets of major cities in the Caribbean, like Havana and Kingston. They operated in a manner similar to the Renaissance-era courtesans by working as groups of four.

The pirate-turned-Assassin Edward Kenway hired dancer groups for a handful of coin, using them to distract guards and interfere with fights. By walking between them, Edward would become incognito. He also constructed a brothel near his manor on Great Inagua to provide services for himself and the Jackdaw's crew.

La Dame en Rose

Prior to 1735, Bastienne Josèphe took over as the madame of La Dame en Rose, the most popular brothel in Port-au-Prince, and increased its financial affairs two-fold, with a portion of the profits used to purchase the freedom of Saint-Domingue's slaves. In addition, Bastienne used her courtesans to gather information from powerful clients so she could solicit favors.

Revolutionary Age

Prostitution and brothels were still popular by the mid and late 18th century. Women were sold in taverns or kidnapped to entertain rooms and even ships.

In 1735, Edward Kenway's daughter, Jennifer Scott, was kidnapped by mercenaries. The Templar Reginald Birch sold her to Turkish slavers and she became a concubine in the Topkapı Palace. The palace included the Harem for raising and educating wives of future royalty. She was then transported to Damascus to serve under the Ottoman governor in charge, As'ad Pasha al-Azm. By her mid-40s, Jennifer worked as a servant for the concubines due to her age. Ultimately, her half-brother Haytham Kenway and a friend, Jim Holden, infiltrated the palace and rescued her in 1757.

In 1788, the Templar Élise de la Serre and a young girl named Hélène were saved from becoming prostitutes of the Middle Man by Byron Jackson, an English ship captain.

In Paris, prostitutes were at all layers of society, from the poorest in the Cour des Miracles to the richest in the Palais-Royal. Théroigne de Méricourt, with the help of the Assassin Arno Dorian, recruited prostitutes to form a women troop for the French Army. After the Marquis de Sade took control of the Cour des Miracles, he tasked Arno to kill the procurer Grignon to take the control of his brothels. De Sade was later accused of the murder of the prostitute Suzanna. Arno investigated and discovered the true murderer. Marguerite Brunet, also known as Mademoiselle de Montansier, ran a ring of "actresses" in the high society, uncovering secrets from influential men. Pierre Beaumarchais sent Arno to recover the book where Montansier kept the information collected.

Victorian London

A brothel in Victorian London

Due to poverty and the lack of jobs, many women in Victorian London turned to prostitution as a way to earn a living. After assassinating Crawford Starrick and ending the Templars' control over the city, the twin Assassins Jacob and Evie Frye recruited initiates from child labor, orphans, and prostitutes. Some female initiates assumed the identities of courtesans who worked in the Whitechapel brothels owned by Olwyn Owers as undercover agents.

During the Whitechapel murders of 1888, the Assassin-turned-serial killer Jack the Ripper murdered several of these initiates, who had been sent by Jacob to track him. During her investigations, Evie could hire prostitutes to distract Jack's minions.

Characteristics

Courtesans could not perform any sort of freerunning, and were usually unarmed, though in the cases where they were, they carried knives and bladed fans. Should they be discovered aiding Ezio in an attempt to infiltrate a guarded area, the courtesans were usually attacked mercilessly, and killed very quickly in the fight.

A group of courtesans in Venice

If Ezio or Edward encountered a group of guards while walking with the courtesans, two of them would leave the group to distract them, while the other two stayed with the Assassin, in order to maintain the blend and help keep him anonymous. This behavior was very helpful in assassination missions where the target walked among civilians.

The courtesans in Rome acted much as they did in other cities, however, after Ezio had allied himself to their guild for some time, the girls he hired were able to poison any enemies they were instructed to distract.

Notable courtesans

Athens

• Aikaterine – Hetaera employed at the House of Aphrodite
• Aspasia – Hetaera, political figure, and partner of Perikles

Baghdad

• Arib Al-Ma'muniyya – Qiyan, courtesan, and poet
• Farah – Concubine of Caliph Al-Musta'in
• Nasrin – Concubine of Caliph Al-Musta'in
• Qabiha – Umm walad and concubine of Caliph Al-Mutawakkil

Constantinople

• Fabiola Cavazza – A courtesan affiliated with the Templars
• Dilara – A former concubine-turned-Ottoman spy
• Jennifer Scott – Daughter of Edward Kenway, kidnapped by the Templars and sold to Turkish slavers

Damascus

• Maryam – A former prostitute who became the madame of a traveling brothel

Florence

Main article: La Rosa Colta

• Paola – Madame of La Rosa Colta and an Assassin

Herakleion

• Legendary twins – A pair of fraternal twins working at Helen's brothel in Herakleion

Korinth

• Anthousa – Leader of the Korinthian hetairai
• Damalis – A Korinthian hetaera
• Erinna – A Korinthian hetaera captured by the Monger
• Kleio – A Korinthian hetaera
• Roxana – A Korinthian hetaera captured by the Monger

London

• Olwyn Owers – Madame of several brothels
• Mary Ann Nichols – A victim of Jack the Ripper
• Annie Chapman – A victim of Jack the Ripper
• Elizabeth Stride – A victim of Jack the Ripper
• Catherine Eddowes – A victim of Jack the Ripper
• Mary Jane Kelly – A victim of Jack the Ripper
• Nellie – An Assassin ally

Naples

• Camilla – A courtesan who provided Ezio Auditore, Niccolò Machiavelli, and Leonardo da Vinci with information on Micheletto Corella's whereabouts

Paris

• Théroigne de Méricourt – Belgian singer who became an important figure of the French Revolution
• Suzanna – Prostitute killed during the French Revolution. Arno Dorian solved her murder.
• Anna – Suzanna's co-worker
• Micheline – Suzanna's co-worker
• Jacqueline – "Actresse" who worked for Mademoiselle Montansier

Port-au-Prince

Main article: La Dame en Rose

• Bastienne Josèphe – Madame of La Dame en Rose
• Guzan – Courtesan employed at La Dame en Rose

Rome

Main article: Rosa in Fiore

• Madonna Solari – Former Madame of the Rosa in Fiore, killed by slave traders working for the Borgia
• Fiora Cavazza – A courtesan working for the Solari, who eventually entered the service of Cesare Borgia and later defected to the Assassins
• Claudia Auditore da Firenze – Sister of Ezio Auditore and an Assassin who became the madame of the Rosa in Fiore
• Giuletta – A traitorous courtesan who traded information about the Assassins to a Borgia contact
• Lucia – A courtesan who accompanied Fiora and Santino Solari on one of his business outings, who was also kidnapped by slave traders alongside madonna Solari. She was sent back to alert the other girls of the ransom for Solari
• Mina – A victim of the Templar Malfatto, a rogue doctor that preyed on courtesans. Ezio Auditore found her being mourned by her friend in a back alley of Rome.
• Agnella
• Saraghina

Seville

Main article: La Reina Sonriente

• Flora de la Cruz – A top courtesan of La Reina Sonriente who joined the Assassins
• Angela Carillo – A top courtesan of La Reina Sonriente who joined the Assassins

Shanghai

• Ruan Lingyu – Famous Chinese actress

Venice

Main article: La Rosa della Virtù

• Teodora Contanto – Madame of La Rosa della Virtù and an Assassin
• Lucia – A courtesan who was attacked and robbed just outside her brothel
• Lea Cantato – A courtesan working as an informant for the Assassins

Trivia

• The "Red Light Addict" achievement could be gained by spending 5,000 florins on hiring courtesans. As one group of courtesans cost 150 florins to hire, it means that approximately 34 groups must be hired.
• A courtesan's appearance had five randomly generated options: hair, face, dress color, necklace and sleeves.
• In Assassin's Creed II, if Ezio hired a courtesan group and then immediately attacked guards, the courtesans may draw weapons and fight the guards alongside him.
• Should a courtesan in a group fall into water, the remaining three would continue to activate the blending effect without her, indicating that the death of one courtesan was similar to when two left the group to distract passing guards.
  • Despite this, a glitch could be encountered with a group of hired courtesans outside of Forlì, where if one of them became stuck and separated from the rest of the group, the remaining three would not activate any blending effects until Ezio approached the lost courtesan's perimeter and enter into the middle of the group.
• Courtesans could not be killed or grabbed by Ezio.
  • The only exception to this rule could be seen in the Assassin's Creed II memory "Fitting In", being the only one where Ezio could beat up, pickpocket and grab courtesans.
• During the memory "Carnevale", courtesans appeared in the streets wearing masks.
• In Monteriggioni, after renovating the brothel, random courtesans appeared to walk in the streets. However, Ezio was unable to hire them.
  • They no longer appeared during the early scenes of Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood, except for one who appeared behind Ezio as he was leaving the hidden tunnel from Monteriggioni.
• In Brotherhood, if a civilian Ezio stole from prepared to have a fistfight with him, courtesans that he had hired would sometimes go and fight them instead, knocking the civilian out with only two punches.
• In Assassin's Creed: Revelations, courtesans were replaced by the Romani, as prostitution was not officially accepted in Ottoman-Byzantine society.
• Courtesans were visible in Assassin's Creed: Unity; however, they could not be hired or interacted with, as they were civilians.
• In Jack the Ripper, the hired prostitutes could be sent to distract the male members of the Rooks, but at a risk: sometimes said men killed the women.
• The distinctive horned hairstyle worn by courtesans in Assassin's Creed II and Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood was actually fashionable in Venice, not only among courtesans, but women in general.

Gallery

• 
  A hetaera in 5th-century BCE Greece
• 
  Prostitutes tending to Charles the Fat
• 
  Maria Thorpe disguised as a courtesan
• 
  Concept art of Renaissance-era courtesans
• 
  Ezio with Teodora's courtesans
• 
  Ezio speaking with a courtesan in Rome
• 
  Roman Courtesans insignia
• 
  Initiates art of the Florentine courtesans
• 
  The Marquis de Sade with a prostitute
• 
  Prostitutes in Assassin's Creed: Syndicate

Appearances

• Assassin's Creed: Bloodlines (first appearance)
• Assassin's Creed II
• Assassin's Creed: Project Legacy
• Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood
• Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood novel
• Assassin's Creed: Revelations
• Assassin's Creed: Forsaken
• Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag
  • Freedom Cry
• Assassin's Creed: Identity
• Assassin's Creed: Unity
• Assassin's Creed: Unity novel
• Assassin's Creed: Syndicate – Jack the Ripper
• Assassin's Creed: Templars
• Assassin's Creed: Heresy
• Assassin's Creed: Origins
• Assassin's Creed: Rebellion
• Assassin's Creed: Odyssey
• Assassin's Creed: Valhalla
  • The Siege of Paris
• Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood of Venice
• Assassin's Creed: Mirage
• Assassin's Creed: Mirage – Daughter of No One
• Assassin's Creed: Nexus VR (mentioned in Database entry only)