The Vestal Virgins
Monday, 26 October 2020, 11:23 PM
by Robyn Hendricks
In Ancient Rome, the Vestal Virgins were a part of a religious cult dedicated to Vesta, the goddess of the hearth. It was created out of six priestesses, living in the Attrium Vestae (in the Roman Forum), who each took a 30-year oath of chastity to the goddess.  As priestesses, their main priority was to tend and protect the sacred fire, which was believed to represent the sanctity and fate of Rome. If the fire were to go out, it was believed that the safety of Rome was at threat and the Vestals were  therefore punished. Likewise, if a Vestal Virgin was to break their oath of chastity at any point in their service, they would be put to death.  As it was considered a sin to spill the blood of a Vestal, the form of execution was being buried alive, where they would be sealed into an underground chamber and left to starve to death. It was thought that if the Vestal was innocent, the goddess would save her, but (surprisingly) there are no recorded cases of this happening.Vesta, Goddess of the Hearth

In many ways the priestesses were given a higher station in society because of their definitive role as virgins; they were representatives of the goddess, and so “virginity was their characteristic and fundamentally important feature” (Kroppenburg, 2010) – if they were to destroy this however, the punishments would be severe to both them and their sexual partner. Like most ancient societies, Roman women were at a significant disadvantage in society and were largely left powerless, under the control of either their husband or father (Latin term Patria Potestas). Yet unlike typical Roman women, Vestal Virgin’s were emancipated from the control of their male guardian and instead cared for by the state. This gave them a privileged position, where among other things, they were able to own property, create wills and even get tax exemptions. To the modern interpreter, these feel like minor gains, but were incredibly significant to the contemporary world. Sarah B. Pomeroy (1975) argues that “the lives of Vestal’s were severely regulated, but in some respects they were the most emancipated women in Rome”. There were however many duties to be performed and also a high risk of being accused of becoming a threat to the state and murdered, so the role was not without its issues. Fundamentaly, the Vestal Virgins were women, as such they were mistreated and scapegoated as much as men needed them to be.

In Roman Mythology, the goddess Vesta was the child of the titans Cronus and Rhea. It is believed that Jupiter himself swore to protect her virginity, and as such, Vesta is commonly referred to as the Virgin Goddess.  This is where the origins of the Vestal Virgins begin – Vesta’s virginity is the key aspect of her role as a goddess, as it is to the Vestal Virgins role as Priestesses.  Even in mythology are there instances of Vestal Virgins who have broken their vow of chastity, especially in the founding myth of Rome, where Romulus and Remus’ mother was a Vestal. This is arguably a reason for their continuously significant position throughout the history of Rome until 394 AD, their deep roots in Roman myth provides an easy example of religious chastity as an example for women. In Roman art, the goddess was rarely depicted in human form, instead being represented by a never-ending flame, symbolising her constant presence. Vesta was a “manifestation of holiness and the essence of the sacred” (Kroppenberg, 2010) and moulded to be an idolised version of the Roman Matrona.

The Vestal Virgins are an exceptionally interesting part of Roman history, which shows the importance of virginity for a woman in the ancient Roman world.

 

 Frieze featuring the Vestal Virgins tending to the Sacred Fire

Kroppenberg, I. (2010). ‘Law, Religion and Constitution of the Vestal Virgins’, Law and Literature, 22(3), pp. 418-439

Pomeroy, S. B. (1975) Goddesses, Whores, Wives and Slaves. 2nd ed. Kent: Pimlico.