The Roman Goddess Vesta and her Vestal Virgins

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.
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- CHAPTERS -
0:00​ Introduction
1:00 Who Was the Goddess Vesta?
3:09 Who Were the Vestal Virgins?
5:56 Outro
- WANT TO KNOW MORE? -
Vesta www.worldhistory.org/Vesta/
Vestal Virgins www.worldhistory.org/Vestal_V...
Roman Religion www.worldhistory.org/Roman_Re...
Temple of VEsta/Hercules, Rome www.worldhistory.org/article/...
Roman Mythology www.worldhistory.org/Roman_My...
Roman Forum www.worldhistory.org/Roman_Fo...
Hestia www.worldhistory.org/Hestia/
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#vesta #vestalvirgins #romangoddess

[@WorldHistoryEncyclopedia]

What do you think of the Vestal Virgins? Would you have become one if you lived in Ancient Rome?

[@wildmen5025]

Hopefully one day a community of contemporary Polytheists can have such an institution. I'm a guy so obviously I couldn't have been a Vestal Virgin. 😅

[@extrapressure]

I'm a man, so no, lol. Do you think catholic nuns came as a result of the romans syncronizing parts of their pagan religion like vesta and her nuns with the new christian religion? i can see vesta being conflated with the virgin mary or even christ since he rode on a donkey. i don't see any examples of nuns in the old testament or even in the new, so i feel like it must be a conflation like how ishtar became easter.

[@Kaeus2]

@@extrapressure I think the nuns appeared with the monasticism, which is a movement that emerged in the 3rd century. That's why you don't see them in the Bible. I don't think there's a correlation with the Vestal Virgins since monks also took vow for chastity. The chastity vow, like poverty and obedience, were vows of self-denial to have a better communion with God.

[@XXequals.y]

​@@wildmen5025 ur 2 second wife can

[@Skibbityboo0580]

I thought it would be nice, but right before you asked you said "they could have molten lead poured down their throat", and that put me off of the whole thing. That, and I am a dude, so they probably wont take me in anyways.

[@savannahwhitehead7005]

Such an interesting video!! It's interesting that even though she wasn't featured in any myths she was so revered in their culture.

[@christassouthseashells677]

Wonderful! Love learning more about the Vestal Virgins, so important in early Roman history. Thank you

[@WorldHistoryEncyclopedia]

You're very welcome. 🙂

[@GeoffryGifari]

hmmm so even though the romans placed great importance in military might and glory, the goddess of hearth and home seems to be the one to hold a special position in their society ...

[@GeoffryGifari]

referring to vestalia, the vestal virgins, and their dedicated role

[@WorldHistoryEncyclopedia]

That's very true. Thanks for watching!

[@Con_blue]

Yay i was waiting for this!👌💗

[@WorldHistoryEncyclopedia]

We hope you enjoyed it!

[@chandaphillips1337]

I think I loooove your shirt !!! And this video was super awesome too!! You’re my favorite history person ever!!

[@mr.rachetphilanthrophist601]

Don't love too much.

[@jaimeariasfarias6520]

I think is disrepectful that an official speaker uses a shirt with such a horrible image of the now disgracefully common diabolic culture or at least animal figures related to express nonhuman violence and evil. Are there any supervisors in this organization that could have warned the speaker woman that this attire may be offensive to educated people who reject ugly or diabolic images? Sincerely, I find it very inappropriate for World History Encylopaedia which aim is to educate in human History to allow this shameful exhibition of very poor taste. Jaime Arias, scientist

[@chandaphillips1337]

I think if y’all don’t like the channel you can just go to another channel. She’s good at what she does and her shirt is super cool. Nobody is making you buy the shirt or stay and watch while she’s wearing it

[@alili945]

@@jaimeariasfarias6520 cope jaime

[@Davlavi]

Informative.

[@sadaf313]

Great vedio

[@wildmen5025]

Ave Vesta!

[@user-fb9ss4op6n]

Vocabulary and grammar and culture of speech and writing, O Goddess Vesta. Лексика, грамматика, культура речи и письма, о богиня Веста.

[@WorldHistoryEncyclopedia]

Thanks for watching!

[@starcapture3040]

Can you make video about The wife of Amon?

[@wildmen5025]

Mut/Amunet?

[@docastrov9013]

Come back, Vesta!

[@WorldHistoryEncyclopedia]

Thanks for watching!

[@GeoffryGifari]

how did they decide who could become a vestal virgin? could parents recommend their own daughters for one reason or another?

[@WorldHistoryEncyclopedia]

They had to be of age, children of respectable parents and free of any mental or physical issues.

[@cynderazuleehirgon3684]

Dont worry. The Romans are just as roman as they were before

[@QueXLcior]

A white hot branding iron

[@sageashton31]

Hestia is best-ia

[@bsaneil]

Romans used to Curry favour with this godess...

[@AusDenBergen]

You look like claymation Penny

[@LeeAnnStar]

omg that is so crazy I was looking that up yesterday and no one knew wtf I was talking about haha she would rub her eyes and make that rubber sound lol

[@AusDenBergen]

@@LeeAnnStar haha, that's when TV was still interesting and unpredictable. Good times.

[@persianfantasy2070]

dope

[@colincbatch]

Seriously, why have you wasted your time making this video? It is so ridiculously over-simplistic that nobody has learnt anything from it