Why were the vestal virgins

If they broke this vow they were punished by death. They were buried alive in a chamber with only a little bit of food and water to keep them alive for few days longer. There have been a few known vestals that have broken the vow; one would be Tiber, who gave birth to Romulus and Remus.

The other reason of punishment is if they allowed for the fire to go out; this was a punishment by death as well, often by whipping. Even though they had restriction, these women were free of subservient restrictions to men. They lived and dined in nice surroundings and they had VIP admittances into public places like the theatre. They were required to serve thirty years if their life to the goddess of Vesta.

The first ten years they were students, then the following they were in their service to the fire, and the last ten years they were the teachers. Once they completed their term, they were free to marry anyone they liked. He let the fire out, and forbade any pagan worship. The vestal virgins did serve a very important propose for Ancient Rome. They allowed families including the royal have the use of fire.

They also set out a different life than the women of Rome at that time. They had more freedom of rights and they were worshipped themselves by the vows that they committed to. Even though they did have to take a vow of chastity, it offered them a life of freedom when they were done with their service. These women are a unique part of history that makes them an important role in the history of women. Abbott, Elizabeth. History of Celibacy. She has written this book that is dedicated to individuals that practice celibacy through out history.

When Abbott discusses the lives of Vestal Virgins she gives a good history of their profession and their promise of chastity. She also includes virgins that were caught not being celibate and their punishment by death. This book is a good source for young students who are interested in celebrant life throughout history and anyone who is interested in the celibate life of Vestal Virgins. Baird, Rod. This website dedicated to discovering the ancient Mediterranean history and this site looks at this history from the beginning of writing to B.

The page which is dedicated to the history vestals gives much information including the Goddess Vesta, the roles, rules, punishments, freedoms of a virgin vestal. This site is really good for a student to get information and photos on ancient roman history.

Records from 65 B. Candidates had to be girls between the ages of six and 10, born to patrician parents, and free from mental and physical defects. Final candidates were then publicly selected by lot. On being selected, their life was spent at the Atrium Vestae in a surrogate family, presided over by older Vestals. In addition to room and board, they were entitled to their own bodyguard of lictors.

For the first 10 years they were initiates, taught by the older priestesses. Then they became priestesses for a decade before taking on the mentoring duties of the initiates for the last 10 years of their service. After lots were drawn from the list of young girls who could serve Vesta, initiates were brought to the Atrium Vestae, where their training would begin.

The training was overseen by the chief priestess, the Vestalis Maxima, who came under the authority of the Pontifex Maximus. The first 10 years were spent training for their duties. They would spend the second decade actively administering rites, and the final 10 were spent training novices.

The chastity of the priestesses was a reflection of the health of Rome itself. Public monies and donations to the order funded the cult and the priestesses. In Rome religion and government were tightly intertwined. The organization of the state closely mirrored that of the basic Roman institution: the family. The center of life of the Roman home, or domus, was the hearth, tended by the matriarch for the good of her family and husband.

They could make their own wills and give evidence in a court of law without being obliged to swear an oath. These rights came at a high price: 30 years of enforced chastity. Punishment for her sexual partner was just as brutal: death by whipping. Throughout Roman history, instances are cited of these grim sentences being passed. See also: Legendary saints were real, buried alive, study hints.

Jealousy or malice made the women vulnerable to false accusations. One story, celebrated by several Roman writers, concerns the miracle of the Vestal Virgin Tuccia, who was falsely accused of being unchaste. According to tradition, Tuccia beseeched Vesta for help and miraculously proved her innocence by carrying a sieve full of water from the Tiber.

The flamboyantly eccentric, third-century emperor Elagabalus actually married a serving Vestal Virgin. It is a sign of the enduring symbolic importance of the cult that this heresy was one major factor that led to his deposal and murder.

The ceremonial dress of Vestals highlights their dual, and somewhat contradictory, embodiment of both the maternal and the chaste. Physical appearance was an integral part of their role, making them stand out as different from other women, but also echoing physical traits of conventional women. Dressed in white, the color of purity, the Vestal Virgins wore stola, long gowns worn by Roman matrons.

Hair and headdresses played an important symbolic function. The Vestal hairstyle is described in Roman sources using an ancient Latin phrase, the seni crines. Around their heads they wore a headband, the infula, which was associated with Roman matrons.

Daily rites for Vestals were often centered around the temple. Most important was maintaining the holy fire. The last ten years were to teach the new recruits. This cult was so exclusive, there were only three virgins in each step, with a total of six members at all times. Vestal Virgins were by far the most influential women in Ancient Rome. Back then, women were citizens but had a lot of restrictions and rules that limited them from power.

In comparison, the women of Vestal were seen as pure and powerful beings. They were very important to the Romans, with their power protecting everyone in the city from harm. They were considered completely truthful and gentle souls, with even the power to turn a slave to a free man with just a simple touch.

If anyone was to harm a member, they were immediately put to death. For this reason, they had certain privilege, being able to vote, own property, and join in on particular public events which were forbidden for regular women.

Although compared to regular women, they have extreme power in the city, their liberty was limited in other ways. They vestals were kept under strict rules and traditions, with any rebellion to be meet by severe punishments. If a member allowed the fire to go out, snuck out of the temple after curfew, or broke their celibacy vows, they would have disastrous consequences.

With whipping or death sentences being the most documented punishments. As it was a sin to shed vestal blood, they would kill the member by burying her alive in the underground chambers of the House of Vestal. She was the mythical mother of the famous twins Remus and Romulus, who were the creators of Rome. She was the niece to the King Amulius of Alba Longa, who later banished her baby sons into the Tiber River which sparked the beginning of Rome. What made this such an extreme and documented case was due to Aemilia performing incest on several occasions.

She also convinced two other vestal members in performing the same act, which caused all three women to be punished and sentenced to death.