Salve, quirites! As you know, since ancient times, women have been considered the keepers of the hearth, albeit now symbolically. But in ancient Rome, such a "position" was not just a sentimental epithet, but a significant position worn by certain women. And just about such priestesses today we will talk.
Revered cult
Unlike most Roman religious cults, where men were priests, women were in charge of the worship of Vesta. These beautiful virgins, virgo Vestalis - virgins of Vesta, for centuries faithfully served the goddess of the hearth, one of the three main goddesses of Rome, along with Minerva and Diana. Six virgin priestesses, through special rites, were dedicated to serving the cult of Vesta, as full-fledged saints who lived in their own residence, Atrium Vestae at the Roman Forum. The deeply ancient traditions of the Vestals gave the Romans the opportunity to lead a thread of continuity into the depths of the centuries. Even the circular shape of the temple itself hints at the traditional style associated with the village huts in the ancient past of the City.
The rites performed by the Vestals remained relatively fixed from the time of the birth of the Roman Republic (VI century BC) until the IV century AD.
The Vestals watch over the sacred fire of Vesta, on whose protection Rome depends.
The place of worship, which lay next to the Atrium Vestae, was the room where the priestesses tended the sacred fire of the goddess. Once a year, on the first of March, when the new year began according to the old Roman calendar, the priestesses decorated the temple of Vesta and kindled a new fire by rubbing a tree, and then maintained it for a year. The flame that burned in her temple personified the goddess herself, served as a sacred landmark about the future and the center of the Universe. Their task was considered serious, since the fire was associated with the fate of their city. Its fading foreshadowed imminent troubles for the extremely religious people of Romulus.
Scholars differ on the nature of this cult. Even the ancient historian Plutarch cannot give an exact explanation of the phenomenon of veneration of the Inextinguishable Flame: one thing is clear that the cult was borrowed from the ancient Greeks. I think we can say that such a belief originates from the very origins of mankind, when it just mastered fire, and survival depended on its state. For which the women watched while the men went hunting.
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Remains of the Temple of Vesta stand in the Roman Forum. Unlike most temples, it did not have a central image of the goddess. It was a place of sacred fire and a repository of various sacred artifacts.
In addition, in the temple between the Palatine and Capitoline hills, which was founded by Numa Pompilius, there was a relic of the past - Palladium (talisman-talisman in the form of a statuette of the goddess Athena), which the ancestor of the Romans, Aeneas, himself brought from Troy. It was believed that while Palladium was in the city, no one could harm him. It is with the theft of the relics of the city that the author of the Iliad and the Odyssey, Homer connects the capture of Troy. In the same way, this sacred object was venerated in Rome. The temple itself enjoyed the highest credit of trust among the population, embodying all the "angelic" qualities: incorruptibility, purity, which were highly valued in Roman society. This allowed citizens, without unnecessary fear, to trust their valuable documents, for example, wills, for storage.
Odysseus and Diomedes steal Palladium from Troy.
Lovely chosen ones
To become a vestal was a lucky draw. Captio, the process by which girls were chosen to leave their families and become priestesses, is Latin for “capture,” the same term for the bride kidnapping rite that took place in ancient Rome. Records 65 BC e. it is said that the list of potential vestals was drawn up by the High Priest (Pontifex Maximus), who dominated all the cults of the city. Service to this temple in Roman society was considered extremely honorable and prestigious. And although the girl could not in any way influence her fate, she was proud and respected. The candidates were girls aged six to ten, born to patricians, without mental or physical disabilities. The selected candidates were then publicly selected by lot. After initiation, they were sworn in to serve Vesta for 30 years.
Now, in the new temple family, their long life will be spent in the Atrium of Vesta. In addition to housing and food, they were entitled to their own bodyguard, the lictor. The first 10 years they were initiated and taught by senior priestesses. They then became full vestals for the next decades, before taking on the responsibility of mentoring new girls for the last 10 years of their service.
After the election, the neophytes were brought to the temple, where their training began. The process was overseen by the head priestess, Vestalis Maxima, who was subordinate to the High Priest. The first 10 years were spent on preparing for the performance of duties, young vestals studied the calendar of rituals - fastii, watched the sacrifices. The chastity of the priestesses was a reflection of the health of Rome itself. Although it was a sin to shed the blood of a virgin to kill her, it did not preclude the use of severe corporal punishment in case of wrongdoing. Plutarch writes:
Generous gifts
Public money and donations to the temple funded the cult and priestesses. Not surprisingly, in Rome, religion and state were closely intertwined. Even the organization of the state itself accurately reflects the basic Roman institution: the family. The center of the life of a Roman citizen was the domus (house), where there was always a hearth, which was looked after by the matron for the good of the family and husband. In the same way, the Vestals tended the flame of Vesta for the good of the state.
The silver denarius, dating back to the 2nd century BC, depicts the round temple of Vesta.
Unlike other Roman women, the vestals enjoyed certain privileges: in addition to the opportunity to own property and enjoy some tax benefits, the vestals were emancipated (from the Latin emancipare) - they were freed from Patria Potestas, the power of the head of their family. This exclusion from family networks symbolized the unity of the Roman people. So that you understand how serious this is, I will cite an excerpt from the writings of the lawyer Guy: "… there are hardly any other people who would have such power over their children, which we, Roman citizens, have." Formally, the power of the head of the house over his relatives did not stop until he lost his legal or legal capacity for various reasons or dies.
Despite their special position, the Vestals actively intervened in politics. For example, in 63 BC. the priestesses helped Cicero lobby for a decision: during the celebration of the Day of the Good Goddess in the house of the acting consul, the fire burning on the altar of the temple was extinguished, as expected. And suddenly it flared up again. The vestals present at the ceremony unanimously concluded that this was a good sign, and ordered the mistress of the house to inform her husband that his decision should be immediately carried out, for the goddess lit a fire for his glory. Considering that one of the vestals was a relative of Cicero's wife, you can draw a conclusion yourself. Vestals could also make their own wills and testify in court, without being obliged to take an oath.
Mark Tullius Cicero - politician, orator, philosopher, military leader and Roman consul for 63 years.
Thirty years of chastity
However, for these opportunities the priestesses paid a dear price: 30 years of forced chastity. Many historians believe that the integrity of the state was associated with the chastity of its women; since the purity of the Vestals was highly visible and sacred, the penalties for breaking a vow were draconian. Since it was forbidden to shed the blood of the Vestal virgin, the method of execution was immolation alive: she was buried in a cell and left to starve to death. The punishment for her sexual partner was just as cruel: death by flogging.
Jealousy or anger made women vulnerable to false accusations. One story noted by several Roman writers concerns the miracle of the Vestal Tuccia, who was falsely accused of dishonor. According to legend, Tuccia begged Vesta for help and miraculously proved her innocence by bringing a sieve of water from the Tiber.
Miracle of the Vestal Tuccia. 17th century painting by Giovanni Battista Bainashi.
Accusations of crimes against the chastity of the Vestals were sometimes thrown at representatives of the top of society: the shocking and eccentric emperor of the 3rd century Elagabal shocked his contemporaries by marrying a Vestal. Such censure meant the enduring symbolic importance of the cult, because such heresy was one of the main reasons leading to the execution of the priestesses.
Mark Licinius Crassus, consul, triumvir, oligarch, lover of cheap housing.
A funny story is connected with Mark Licinius Crassus. This general was one of the richest and most influential Roman citizens in the 1st century BC, but he almost lost his property and life when he was accused of being too intimate with the vestal Licinia. Crassus appeared before the court. According to Plutarch, Licinia owned a pleasant villa in the suburbs, which he wanted at a low price, and for this reason he always wandered around the woman and courted her. Luckily, Crassus was acquitted when his greedy motives were revealed.
Housekeeping
The ceremonial dress of the vestals emphasizes their ambivalent and somewhat contradictory embodiment of both the maternal and the chaste. Appearance was integral to their role, distinguishing but also echoing the physical traits of ordinary women. Dressed in white, the colors of purity, the vestals wore the long dresses of Roman matrons. Hair and headdresses played an important symbolic function, the vestal hairstyle, called seni crines, is described in Roman sources. The vestal wore the suffibulum, a short white cloth similar to the bride's veil, held in place by a brooch. A bandage was wrapped around the head - infula, which was also associated with Roman matrons.
The daily rites of the Vestals were often performed around the temple. In addition to maintaining the fire, typical duties also included cleaning the temple with water that had to be drawn from the fountains. In preparation for the many festivities that required their presence, the priestesses baked special cakes with salt. Several times a year, the Vestals prepared ritual flour from a special relict cereal, spelled, and on September 13, two types of salt were added to the flour. The result was mola salsa, “salted flour,” from which sacrificial bread was made. The Vestals were an important religious holiday: on a June day, the ashes from the sacred hearth were solemnly taken out of the temple and thrown into the waters of the Tiber. In addition, Lupercalia was celebrated - a feast of fertility in honor of Luperk, which emphasizes the dual role of the Vestals, since it was closely associated with fertility.
In the depths of the temple, the priestesses watched over their secret talismans. Among these items was the sacred phallus, fascinus, an interpretation of the little god of the same name. Fascin was closely associated with magic and fertility.
Roman tradition
According to Titus Livy, the founding of the cult is attributed to the legendary second Roman king, Numa Pompilius. It is believed that it was he who ordered the Roman belief system, including the cults of Jupiter and Mars. The historian Plutarch wrote that Numa may have "considered the nature of Fire to be pure and undefiled and therefore entrusted it to pure and immaculate bodies." Many historians believe that Numa is a legendary figure, and that worship of Vesta and other cults developed slowly from pre-Roman customs, perhaps starting from the more ancient Etruscan culture that dominated Italy until the founding of Rome.
Bust of Numa Pompilius from the Villa Albani Museum in Rome, believed to have been created during the imperial period.
The Romans themselves treated the priestesses with a deep sense of reverence. Plutarch points out: "they were the keepers of Divine secrets, hidden from everyone except themselves." They were believed to have magical powers: if someone sentenced to death sees a vestal on the way to execution, he must be released, until it can be proven that the meeting was not planned. It was even rumored that the Vestals could stop a fugitive slave.
The privileged position of the Vestals in Roman society persisted for over a thousand years, passing through the changing political systems of republican and imperial Rome. However, in 394, with the advent of the primacy of Christianity, the emperor Theodosius the Great banned pagan practices, the Eternal Flame went out. Soon the Eternal City was also destined to fall.
Edward Komnin