The goddess Vesta was the Roman goddess of the home, the hearth, fire, domestic life, and the patroness of bakers. She is identified with the Greek goddess Hestia, although Hestia was less so in the spotlight in ancient Greece than Vesta in ancient Rome. In Roman mythology, Vesta was the daughter of Saturn (the Roman equivalent of Cronos) and Ops, the goddess of fertility, and was responsible for preparing the food of the gods.
There are no myths associated with the goddess Vesta in Roman mythology, but we know that she is one of the oldest deities and was often not depicted as a woman, but as fire. When she was depicted as a woman, she was always fully clothed and was often accompanied by a donkey (her sacred animal, associated with bakers because the donkey turned the millstone). Sometimes she was depicted holding a kettle which was a symbol of the hearth, as well as cut flowers which symbolised domesticity.
The Vestales or Vestal Virgins were specially chosen priestesses to Vesta. There were either four or six Vestal Virgins at any one time, and their chief priority was to tend to the sacred flame of Vesta that eternally burned in the Shrine of Vesta in the Roman Forum. Young girls were chosen to be Vestals at the age of six or seven, and had to dedicate themselves to the goddess for at least thirty years, and they had to stay chaste during the entirety of their service to the goddess. They were the only full time clergy in ancient Rome, and along with tending to the sacred fire, they also performed other rites and rituals associated with Vesta including caring for the sacred objects in the shrine and inner sanctuary, preparing ritual food and officiating in public events such as the festival to Vesta, the Vestalia.
Did you know that if a Vestal Virgin didn't remain a virgin during her 30 years in the
service of the goddess Vesta, she could be buried alive as a punishment?
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My name is Kelly and today's video is all about the Roman goddess of the hearth and
home, Vesta, and her special group of women who served her known as the Vestal Virgins.
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The goddess Vesta was the Roman goddess of the home, the hearth, fire, domestic life,
and the patroness of bakers.
She is identified with the Greek goddess Hestia, although Hestia was less so in the spotlight
in Ancient Greece than Vesta in Ancient Rome.
In Roman mythology, Vesta was the daughter of Saturn, the Roman equivalent of Cronos,
and Ops, the goddess of fertility, and was responsible for preparing the food of the
gods.
There are no myths associated with the goddess Vesta in Roman mythology, but we know that
she is one of the oldest deities, and was often not depicted as a woman, but as fire.
When she was depicted as a woman, she was always fully clothed and was often accompanied
by a donkey, her sacred animal associated with bakers, because the donkey turned the
millstone.
Sometimes she was depicted holding a kettle, which was a symbol of the hearth, as well
as cut flowers, which symbolised domesticity.
Since Vesta was the goddess of the house and the hearth, it was thought that the hearth,
at the centre of every home, was an altar to the goddess.
She was thought to have kept the home fires burning, from the most simple and modest apartments
and homes, to the grandest villas.
She was the goddess of the city and the protectress of Rome, as she cared for the homes of every
citizen.
One of the most important holidays in ancient Rome was the festival dedicated to Vesta,
known as the Vestalia, which ran between June 7th and 15th.
During the Vestalia, the donkeys, which were attached to the millstones and turned them
in order to make bread, were released from work, and the Vestal virgins, who we will
get to very soon, made special salted cakes on the 9th of June.
Although Vesta was a goddess of special service to women, she was still very popular with
males, much like the Egyptian goddess Bastet.
Out of all of the Roman deities, only Vesta was honoured with full-time clergy that were
dedicated solely to her rites.
The Vestales, or Vestal virgins, were specially chosen priestesses to Vesta.
There were either four or six Vestal virgins at any one time, and their chief priority
was to tend to the sacred flame of Vesta that eternally burned in the Shrine of Vesta in
the Roman Forum, until the fall of the Roman Empire and the rise in Christianity, when
the flame was put out by Theodosius I.
Young girls were chosen to be Vestals at the age of six or seven, and had to dedicate themselves
to the goddess for at least 30 years, and they had to stay chaste during the entirety
of their service to the goddess.
They were the only full-time clergy in ancient Rome, and along with tending to the sacred
fire, they also performed other rites and rituals associated with Vesta, including caring
for the sacred objects in the Shrine and Inner Sanctuary, preparing ritual food, and officiating
in public events such as the festival to Vesta, the Vestalia.
Probably the most well-known Vestal virgin was Rea Silvia, the mother of the legendary
founders of Rome, Romulus and Remus.
Rea Silvia was forced to become a Vestal virgin by King Aemulius, but was raped by the god
Mars.
Since Aemulius didn't want to face the wrath of Mars by killing Rea Silvia or her children,
he imprisoned her rather than burying her alive.
Although Vesta was a popular deity for both women and men, only women could serve as priestesses
of Vesta, and their duties required them to remain virgins.
After the girls served Vesta for 30 years, they were allowed to leave the service of
the goddess and get married, but very few did because it was seen as unlucky since they
were basically brides of the goddess Vesta for most of their lives.
The Vestales were honoured in the community, many of their needs were supplied by the temple
tithes, and many of them ended up amassing quite a bit of wealth.
They were also free from many of the restrictions the everyday Roman woman had to endure.
If a Vestal virgin failed in her responsibilities to the goddess though, she could be beaten,
and if they lost their virginity, or there was a rumour of such, they might be buried
alive, or even had molten lead poured down their throat.
Most of the Vestales that we know of though, kept their vows, and they kept honouring Vesta
and the city and people of Rome until the rise of Christianity.
What do you think of the Vestal virgins? Would you have become one?
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