In ancient Rome, there were priestesses who served the goddess Vesta. Vestal women of ancient Rome, who held this position, enjoyed immediate privileges in society, personal integrity and received high salaries. In the media, the main emphasis in describing their lifestyle is placed on the indispensable presence of a Vestal Virgin, which, although it is the main feature of this profession, does not reveal most of its specific features.
The origin of the priestly cult of Vesta and its features
As noted above, the Vestal Virgins are the priestesses of the goddess Vesta, the origin of whose cult has been lost for centuries. It is only known that it is related to the Greek cult of the sacred fire guarded by old maids.
It is assumed that the institution of the Vestals was created by Numa Pompilius, who streamlined religious dogmas and established such duties as the maintenance and kindling of the sacred fire, the preservation of shrines and private treasures, and the conduct of sacrifices to the goddess Vesta.
Conditions for the selection of candidates for the post of Vestal Virgin
Continuously the cult was served by six Vestal Virgins, who were selected according to their life rotation by drawing lots from twenty he althy girls aged 6-10 years,coming from patrician families and permanently residing with their families in Italy.
During the initiation rite, the young Vestal Virgin passed through the atrium of Vesta, where she underwent the procedure of cutting her hair as an offering to a sacred tree, on which her hair was then hung. The age of the sacred tree in Rome in the era of Pliny the Elder had already passed over half a millennium. After that, the consecrated vestal, dressed all in white, received the second name "Beloved", added to her Roman name, and began her training in the sanctuary.
She had to go through the stages of training, service and mentorship, a total of 30 years. After the end of the service, the Vestal Virgin became free and could even get married, but when she received the status of a Roman matron, she lost all her rights and privileges.
Rights and duties of a Vestal Virgin as a priestess
The maintenance of the sacred fire of Vesta in Rome was regarded as the Light of the empire, it was extinguished only on the first day of the new year, its extinction was considered a catastrophe, similar to the collapse of the empire. In this case, the fire had to be kindled manually by rubbing wood against wood, and the guilty Vestal was punished by scourging. Therefore, the Vestals of Ancient Rome in the minds of the Romans were the servants of the goddess, caring for the prosperity of the empire.
The Vestals were presented with the richest gifts, which they disposed of at their own discretion. They owned huge estates that brought them great income; emperors brought them generous gifts. In addition, when a Vestal took office, she received a large amount from her family.
Insulting a Vestal Virgin - even at the level of everyday rudeness - was punishable by death.
Another image of a Vestal Virgin is the image of a divine judge. In case of a chance meeting with the convict, the latter was granted a pardon.
Virginity as a pledge of divine purity
The basis of the priestly cult of Vesta was the virginity of the priestesses, the personification of immaculate divine purity, surrounding and protecting the sacred fire. The Vestals were fully aware of this, giving a vow of purity when entering the service of the goddess.
The Vestal punishment for breaking the vow of celibacy was extremely severe - it was punishable by being buried alive. However, in Rome, the execution of a vestal was considered a grave sin, so the accused was carried through the city, tied with straps to the seat, in a deaf stretcher. Surrounding people perceived the fact of what was happening as the hardest grief. At the burial site, a small depression was dug, shaped like a tunnel, upon arrival at which the vestal virgin was untied by slaves and, after reading a prayer by the high priest, silently descended into the tunnel, where she was then walled up with a one-day supply of food and water.
It must be said that there were often cases and justifications of the Vestal Virgins. After the trial, they received an order correcting their appearance and manner.
The daily and social life of a Vestal Virgin
The House of the Vestal Virgins, together with the Temple of Vesta, constituted a single functional complex. It is known that it was an atrium surrounded by two-story porticos on columns. The premises were built of brick and built on two floors, no different from a simple Roman residential building. However, the presence of a huge spacious hall for ceremonial receptions suggests that the building was also used for administrative purposes.
The Vestals were welcome and obligatory guests at the main celebrations taking place in Rome. During the procession through the streets of the city, the lictor always walked in front of the vestals, performing ceremonial and security functions. In some cases, the Vestal Virgins rode chariots.
The image of the Vestal Virgin in art
Vestal women have been known in art since the time of the cult. The most famous of them posed for sculptors, and their finished statues were installed in the reception halls, including in the house of the Vestals themselves.
The Vestals are priestesses and servants of the goddess, so they wore the same clothes, which were a long white tunic and a bandage worn on their heads. In such attire, they were often depicted on canvases by artists.
The image of the Vestal Virgin devoted to her ideals was also captured in literature. Loy alty to his cult and the people of Rome is fully revealed in one of the most sensational novels of the last century. The novel "The Vestal Virgin" by Nikolai Nikonov covered almost a quarter of a century in action; he was the first to write a book concerning the life of priestesses in the bosom of the heroic era. This book, written in two parts, has been repeatedly attacked by the public and criticized for its "gloom" of the plot and the straightforwardness of the story. HoweverNevertheless, Nikonov became a symbol of the past militaristic era, whose "Vestalka" raised one of the most tragic problems in the history of mankind - the confrontation between women and war.
