What Is The Meaning Of The Term Vestal Virgin

They would have been beaten though their high status meant that only the high priest who was also called the pontifex maximus was allowed to strike them. Who are the Vestal Virgins.

Ancient Rome S Obesession With Purity The Vestal Virgins Women In Antiquity

Being entirely made up of women who lived on top of the Palatine Hill in the ancient Temple and House of Vestal.

What is the meaning of the term vestal virgin. Their group numbered six at any one. Like other non-Christian cults it was banned in ad 394 by Theodosius I. Vestal virgin noun in ancient Rome one of the four later six virgin priestesses whose lives were dedicated to Vesta and to maintaining the sacred fire in her temple.

Vestal virgin in American English in ancient Rome any of a small group of virgin priestesses of Vesta who sworn to remain chaste tended the sacred fire in her temple Websters New World College Dictionary 4th Edition. The purity of women represents and safeguards the purity of the state. If a man had sex with a vestal virgin it was seen as if the man was attacking the sanctity.

Vestal Virgins in Roman religion six priestesses representing the daughters of the royal house who tended the state cult of Vesta the goddess of the hearth. The Vestal Virgins were those who tended the sacred fire at the temple of the goddess Vesta in Rome. Entry 1 of 2 1.

It was essential part of the purity of the Vestal Virgins. Nowadays this monument is easily reached by means of a flight steps erected by the Tivoli Tourist Board. Copyright HarperCollins Publishers.

On the west side of the artificial lake created by the river Aniene in an area used in olden days as a burial ground we can see the tomb of the Vestal Virgin Cossinia. The cult is believed to date to the 7th century bc. Women in ancient Rome who took vows of chastity and tended the sacred flame in the temple of the goddess Vesta.

Thus the consecrated virginity of the Vestal Virgins upheld the integrity of ancient Rome. A Vestal Virgin who let the fire go out faced serious punishment according to Ancient History Encyclopedia. In ancient Rome a virgin consecrated to Vesta and vowed to chastity sharing the charge of maintaining the sacred fire burning on the goddesss altar.

Of or relating to a vestal virgin. In ancient Rome one of the four later six virgin priestesses whose lives were dedicated to Vesta and to maintaining the sacred fire in her temple. One of the largest duties a vestal had to maintain was to stay a virgin before and throughout their term as a Vestal Virgin.

Meaning of vestal virgin. Women were only accepted into the cult if they were completely pure beings ie. They became one of the most exclusive cult groups in all of Rome.

Roman mythology one of the virgin priestesses consecrated to the Roman goddess Vesta and to maintaining the sacred fire in her temple. What does vestal virgin mean. Information and translations of vestal virgin in the most comprehensive dictionary definitions resource on the web.

A virgin consecrated to the Roman goddess Vesta and to the service of watching the sacred fire perpetually kept burning on her altar 2. Vestal virgin in British English. Of or relating to the Roman goddess Vesta.

Vestal virgin - Roman mythology one of the virgin priestesses consecrated to the Roman goddess Vesta and to maintaining the sacred fire in her temple Roman mythology - the mythology of the ancient Romans. Definition of vestal virgin 1. If they lost their sacred virginity they suffered the punishment of.

VESTAL VIRGIN noun The noun VESTAL VIRGIN has 1 sense.

What Were The Duties Of The Vestal Virgins