Rome’s Vestal Virgins: A Study of Rome’s Vestal priestesses in the Late Republic and Early Empire

Description

Comprehensive and thoroughly up-to-date, this volume offers a brand new analysis of the Vestal Virgins’ ritual function in Roman religion.

Undertaking a detailed and careful analysis of ancient literary sources, Wildfang argues that the Vestals’ virginity must be understood on a variety of different levels and provides a solution to the problem of the Vestals’ peculiar legal status in ancient Rome.

Addressing the one official state priesthood open to women at Rome, this volume explores and analyzes a range of topics including:

• the rituals enacted by priestesses (both the public rituals performed in connection with official state rites and festivals and the private rites associated only with the order itself)
• the division and interface between religion, state and family structure
• the Vestals’ participation in rights that were outside the sphere of traditional female activity.

New and insightful, this investigation of one of the most important state cults in ancient Rome is an essential addition to the bookshelves of all those interested in Roman religion, history and culture.

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cf. this archeological reconstruction of vestals' seni crines hairstyle (Stephens 2008), which St. Cecilia wore on her wedding day.

Monsignor Gaume, The Catechism of Perseverence , Vol. III, pp. 77-8. Dublin: M. H. Gill & Sons, Ltd., 1906.

"What women there are among the Christians!" they cried out in the transports of their admiration. The young society had such a tender love for purity and continence, that a great many persons consecrated their virginity to God. How miraculous! Augustus could scarcely find six vestals¹ in all Rome; and behold, there are thousands of virgins flourishing like spotless lilies in the little field of the Church!

1. The vestals were heathen virgins, consecrated to the worship of the Goddess Vesta: they might marry at the age of thirty years. There were only six of them. Out of this small number we count, during the period of their reign, which was about a thousand years, seventeen who were condemned to death for having broken their vow. A much greater number were suspected of having done the same, so true it is that purity is a virtue which grows only in the soil of the true religion.