ἐπ᾿ οἰκήματος καθημένῳ. The Loeb gives this as "serving the stews." I thought this was an example of bowdlerization until I looked up English "stews" in the dictionary, which gives "archaic a heated public room used for hot steam baths; a brothel." Not a usage that I was familiar with.Οὐ μέντοι, ἔφη· οὐδέ γε τὸ ἐργάζεσθαι καὶ τὸ ποιεῖν. ἔμαθον γὰρ παρ᾿ Ἡσιόδου, ὃς ἔφη, ἔργον δ᾿ οὐδὲν εἶναι ὄνειδος. οἴει οὖν αὐτόν, εἰ τὰ τοιαῦτα ἔργα ἐκάλει καὶ ἐργάζεσθαι καὶ πράττειν, οἷα νῦν δὴ σὺ ἔλεγες, οὐδενὶ ἂν ὄνειδος φάναι εἶναι σκυτοτομοῦντι ἢ ταριχοπωλοῦντι ἢ ἐπ᾿ οἰκήματος καθημένῳ;
The LSJ has "to be engaged or employed, esp. in a sedentary business" for κάθημαι I.5. Who exactly at the brothel would this describe? Whoever sits at the front desk? Or is he referring to the women installed at the brothel?
Here are the LSJ examples:
to be engaged or employed, esp. in a sedentary business, “ἐπ᾽ αὐτῷ τούτῳ” Hdt.2.86; κ. ἐπὶ τῇ τραπέζῃ, of bankers, D.49.42, cf. 45.33; “ἐπ᾽ ἐργαστηρίου” Id.59.67; “ἐπὶ τοῦ . . ἰατρείου” Aeschin.1.40;