Vestal Virgins

E235162
ancient Roman priestesshood religious order

The Vestal Virgins were an elite order of priestesses in ancient Rome charged with maintaining the sacred fire of Vesta and bound by a strict vow of chastity.

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All labels observed (5)

Label Occurrences
Vestal Virgins canonical 11
Vestals 2
Vestal Virgin 1

Statements (47)

Predicate Object
instanceOf ancient Roman priestesshood ⓘ
religious order ⓘ
associatedFestival Vestalia ⓘ
associatedTemple Temple of Vesta in the Roman Forum ⓘ
country Roman Antiquity ⓘ
surface form: Ancient Rome
culturalSignificance important subject in later art and literature ⓘ
model of female chastity in Roman ideology ⓘ
endOfInstitution abolished by Emperor Theodosius I ⓘ
endOfInstitutionDate late 4th century CE ⓘ
foundingTradition attributed to King Numa Pompilius ⓘ
gender female ⓘ
legalStatus emancipated from patria potestas ⓘ
location Roman Forum ⓘ
numberOfMembers typically six at a time ⓘ
politicalPrivilege ability to free slaves by touch of their hand or presence ⓘ
power to grant asylum to condemned persons (limited) ⓘ
primaryDuty maintaining the sacred fire of Vesta ⓘ
privilege front-row seats at public games ⓘ
right to make a will ⓘ
right to own property ⓘ
right to vote in some assemblies (disputed) ⓘ
use of a carriage (carpentum) in the city ⓘ
punishmentForBreakingVow live burial ⓘ
punishmentForNeglectingFire scourging ⓘ
religion ancient Roman religion ⓘ
residence House of the Vestal Virgins ⓘ
surface form: House of the Vestals
ritualFunction maintaining sacred documents and objects ⓘ
participation in public sacrifices ⓘ
preparation of ritual substances ⓘ
ritualObject mola salsa (salted flour) ⓘ
palladium and other sacred relics (traditionally) ⓘ
sacred fire ⓘ
roleInState guardians of Rome’s sacred hearth ⓘ
symbols of Rome’s security and continuity ⓘ
selectionAgeRange approximately 6 to 10 years old ⓘ
selectionAuthority pontifex maximus ⓘ
surface form: Pontifex Maximus
selectionCriteria freeborn Roman citizen parents ⓘ
physical perfection ⓘ
symbol infula (filleted headband) ⓘ
stola (long robe) ⓘ
suffibulum (white veil) ⓘ
termDivision 10 years learning ⓘ
10 years performing rituals ⓘ
10 years teaching novices ⓘ
termLength 30 years ⓘ
vow chastity ⓘ
worshippedDeity Vesta ⓘ

Referenced by (16)

Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.

Roman religion → includesInstitution → Vestal Virgins ⓘ
Roman lictor → served → Vestal Virgins ⓘ
this entity surface form: Vestals
Vesta → associatedWith → Vestal Virgins ⓘ
Vesta → priesthood → Vestal Virgins ⓘ
Rhea Silvia → vowedChastityAs → Vestal Virgins ⓘ
this entity surface form: Vestal Virgin
Roman priesthoods → hasPart → Vestal Virgins ⓘ
Temple of Vesta → associatedWith → Vestal Virgins ⓘ
Temple of Vesta → maintainedBy → Vestal Virgins ⓘ
Temple of Vesta → guardedBy → Vestal Virgins ⓘ
college of pontiffs → includesOffice → Vestal Virgins ⓘ
subject surface form: College of Pontiffs
this entity surface form: Vestals
sacrarium of Ops Consiva → accessRestrictedTo → Vestal Virgins ⓘ
this entity surface form: Virgines Vestales
chief Vestal (virgo vestalis maxima) → wasPartOf → Vestal Virgins ⓘ
subject surface form: chief Vestal
chief Vestal (virgo vestalis maxima) → oversaw → Vestal Virgins ⓘ
subject surface form: chief Vestal
chief Vestal (virgo vestalis maxima) → wasMemberOf → Vestal Virgins ⓘ
subject surface form: chief Vestal
this entity surface form: college of Vestal Virgins
chief Vestal (virgo vestalis maxima) → wasPartOf → Vestal Virgins ⓘ
subject surface form: virgo vestalis maxima
Portrait of Louise-Élisabeth of France as a Vestal Virgin → hasSubject → Vestal Virgins ⓘ