So many things I didn’t know.
By signing up for this email, you are agreeing to news, offers, and information from Encyclopaedia Britannica.Be on the lookout for your Britannica newsletter to get trusted stories delivered right to your inbox. A Vestal Virgin, marble; in the Museo Nazionale Romano, Rome.Vesta (seated on the left) with Vestal Virgins, classical relief sculpture; in the Palermo Museum, Italy
Categories Who were the Vestal Virgins and why do we still use the term to define “pure” women or those who are beyond reproach?Priestesses of Vesta, Goddess of hearth, home and family, the College of Vestal Virgins were Rome’s only full-time priesthood. Since the vestal virgins were such an important part of Roman society, all of the girls who tried out for the privilege came from aristocratic families. Roman authors also found titillation in writing stories about the supposed sexual transgressions of Vestal Virgins.History Hit brings you the stories that shaped the world through live events, an award winning podcast network and our new online only history channel. I look forward to visiting again!I’ve been fascinated by ancient Rome for decades and have read a lot of original sources (albeit in translation).
Maybe he can be a trend setter! I had never heard of it before I met him. This means that every time you visit this website you will need to enable or disable cookies again. They served as members of the Collegiate of Pontiffs, religious advisors to the Roman Senate. But can we really look back at ancient civilisations and draw parallels with those that exist today?
They would tend the sacred fire in the Temple of Vesta and A statue at the House of the Vestal Virgins (Atrium Vestae), Upper Via Sacra, Rome. If then these opinions be once received as truth, and if it be admitted that the gods do listen to certain prayers, or are influenced by set forms of words, we are bound to conclude in the affirmative upon the whole question.The laws of our ancestors provided for the Vestal virgins and the ministers of the gods a moderate maintenance and just privileges.
Of course, there were exceptions—not necessarily for the better. Unlike normal inductees, these candidates did not have to be prepubescents, nor even virgins (they could be young widows or even divorcees, though that was frowned upon and thought unlucky), though they were rarely older than the deceased Vestal they were replacing. What I’ve found fascinating is how, through the centuries, women have been accumulating power here and there, wherever they could, and up until recently, the women with the most power were the ones who weren’t married. That is what you get for trying to keep a magical fire lit for the entirety of Rome’s history. If suspected of breaking her vow, a vestal would face a trial with the Collegiate of Pontiffs and punishment to be doled out by the Pontifex Maximus.
The emperor, Nero, for example, held himself above the law and is known to have raped at least one Vestal Virgin. And when the executioner offered her his hand, she shrank from it, and turned away with disgust; spurning the foul contact from her person, chaste, pure, and holy: And with all the deportment of modest grace, she scrupulously endeavoured to perish with propriety and decorum.Suspicions first arose against Minucia through an improper love of dress and the evidence of a slave. This gave the execution the semblance of a voluntary death.#Why has history persistently ignored or failed to recognise the role of women?
Inscription on funerary monument discovered at Tivoli in July 1929. The deepening political divide in the U.S. and an apparent realignment of the world order through President Trump’s foreign policy have prompted many comparisons to the fall of the Roman Empire. This website uses cookies to provide you with the best browsing experience.This website uses cookies so that we can provide you with the best user experience possible.