Vesta Virgins Flashcards
Who were the vestal virgins?
6 priestesses who were in charge of caring for the temple of vesta
What was the vestal virgins duties
-to care for the sacred flame of vesta and not let it go out
-extinguish the flame once a year to clan/purify the temple then relight it
- to attend certain public festivals and sacrifices
-assist with the worship of bona Dea and vesta by making blood sacrifices at their festivals
- bake the sacred salute cake for state sacrifices
-to act as guardians to important documents
Who was vesta and what was she the goddess of
She was a Roman goddess of hearth,home and Roman family
Why was vesta an important goddess
As she was seen as the heart of Rome’s success and survival and was important to not make her mad as it would lead to the downfall of Rome
What where the advantages of being a vestal virgin
-being free from a parterfamilias (ceasing control from your farther)
-right to manage their own property and write their own will
-only woman in Rome who were allowed to travel by carriage with a lictor(bodyguard)
-they were protected
-could pardon someone if met on there way to an execution
-special seats reserved at public shows and festivals
-lived in a palatial residence(the house of vestal virgins) next to the temple of vesta
What where the disadvantages of being a vestal virgin
-server consequence if the flame goes out
-the punishment of being unchaste (having sex) was entombment in a cave followed inevitably by death from either starvation or dehydration
-a vestal succumbing to temptation was viewed as a betrayal of Rome
