Role Of The Vestal Virgin As A Priestess Of Isis - 1451 Words

The purpose for my essay is to explore the role of the Vestal Virgin as and a priestess of Isis within the fabric of the Roman Empire society. (3) The time period I will examine to better cover this topic shall be from the establishment of these cults in early Rome, to the time of 394 B.C.E (1) in which Christianity became to the chosen religion of Rome. Within this paper I plan on covering their role, their culture, and their impact upon ancient Rome. To the ancient Romans, Vesta was the goddess of the hearth which was regarded as the heart of every home and the Vestal Virgin was her chosen priestess. (1) It was in the house that Vesta was the most revered because she was the goddess of the hearth and of fire. (2) Because the hearth was†¦show more content†¦First of all, she had to be between 6-10 years old and mentally and physically sound. (3) Secondly, both parents had to be living and she had to be a daughter of a free-born Roman resident. Finally, once she was selected to become a Vestal Virgin, the girl was sworn to celibacy for a period of 30 years. (3) After three decades of serving Vesta she could retire. Once retired the former Vestal would be regarded as an honored citizen of Rome, given a pension, and could wed. (2) The main tasks of a Vestal Virgin included the maintenance of the fire sacred to Vesta, the collection of water from a sacred spring, the preparation of ceremonial food, and protecting sacred objects. As a result, being a Vestal Virgin came with unique privileges. To begin with, a Vestal always travelled by carriage and perpetually had the right-of-way. Secondly, a Vestal had a place of honor at all public events. A Vestal could also own property, make a will, and vote. (1) She could free condemned prisoners and slaves. Finally, a Vestal Virgin was considered to be sacred, thus death was the penalty for anyone harming her. (3) But with the privileges there came serious consequences for being a Vestal Virgin. Allowing the sacred fire of Vesta to die out was a serious offense and was punishable by being beaten with a cat-o -nine-tails. A Vestal’s chastity was considered to have a direct bearing on the health of Rome. (3) The punishment for