"Cytherean" - term used in Scottish newspaper 1861

[loobylooayr]

Hiya,

I'm doing some research, looking at newspaper reports in Ayrshire newspapers in 1860s.

I've come across a report of an assault -
"Marion Leslie, a Cytherean, pled guilty to assaulting the wife of Francis McGinty, a labourer..."

I wasn't sure what a Cytherean was or meant A search online has informed me the term relates to : the planet Venus, the Greek island Cythera, Aphrodite/Cytherea goddess of love.
So, would the use of the word "Cytherean" in the above newspaper quote be a delicate euphemism for the word - prostitute? 
If so, it's a new one to me.
Looby

[RJ_Paton]

Apparantly it was also used in 18th Century Erotic Literature for amongst other things defining a prostitute.

It's not a term I've come across before and it's usage to define an accused is very strange - usually Victorian newspapers are much more graphic in their descriptions of alleged criminals

[manukarik]

Hiya,

I'm doing some research, looking at newspaper reports in Ayrshire newspapers in 1860s.

I've come across a report of an assault -
"Marion Leslie, a Cytherean, pled guilty to assaulting the wife of Francis McGinty, a labourer..."

I wasn't sure what a Cytherean was or meant A search online has informed me the term relates to : the planet Venus, the Greek island Cythera, Aphrodite/Cytherea goddess of love.
So, would the use of the word "Cytherean" in the above newspaper quote be a delicate euphemism for the word - prostitute? 
If so, it's a new one to me.
Looby

This seems to agree with your supposition:

https://www.jstor.org/stable/284241

It does suggests that it became a euphemism for a high-class prostitute in the 18th century …

[loobylooayr]

Thanks Falkryn - I'd never seen the word before - the Victorian journalist is definitely trying not to upset delicate sensibilities.

Thanks for the link, manukarik - I'll have a read after dinner. Interesting that the term was used for high-class prostitutes  - because Marion would not be in that league.

Looby