Vestal Virgin -- Ancient History Encyclopedia

Definition

by Joshua J. Mark
published on 02 September 2009

Vestal Virgins were six priestesses of the Roman goddess of the hearth, Vesta, in the state religion of ancient Rome. They tended the sacred fire in the shrine of Vesta in the Roman Forum and performed other rites associated with the goddess such as caring for the sacred objects in the shrine and inner sanctuary, preparing ritual food and officiating at public events during the yearly Vestalia, Vesta’s feast days (June 7-15).

The virgins were chosen between the ages of six and ten years old by the chief priest and had to serve for 30 years (during which time they, of course, had to remain chaste). Once their 30 years of service was completed they were free to marry but very few did as it was considered unlucky (since they had, essentially, been the brides of Vesta for most of their lives). If a Vestal Virgin failed in her duties she was severely beaten and the punishment for loss of virginity was being buried alive (though other, worse, punishments were sometimes given). Even so, the Vestal Virgins were honored by the community, had most of their needs provided for by temple tithes and were free of many of the restrictions Roman women had to endure.

Written by Joshua J. Mark, published on 02 September 2009 under the following license: Creative Commons: Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike. This license lets others remix, tweak, and build upon this content non-commercially, as long as they credit the author and license their new creations under the identical terms.

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Article

Vestal Virgins of Rome: Privileged Keepers of Rome's Home Fires

by writer873
published on 18 January 2012

The fires of the hearth of the Roman home were symbolic of its stability: Keep the home fires burning, and keep the home thriving. The daughter of the household often held the vital responsibility of tending these fires, making sure they constantly burned. This concept of continuity extended out into the civic arena, where at the Temple of Vesta, a group... [continue reading]

Article

Vestal Virgins of Rome: The Price of Civic Duty and Privilege

by writer873
published on 18 January 2012

Being a Vestal Virgin was a lifetime committment that required certain promises be made to the powerful position. Breaking a promise made in honor of the priesthood spelled certain disaster. For example, breaking the vow of celibacy usually meant execution for the former Virgin. Over the course of Roman history, the technique of execution that was employed... [continue reading]