There is not much known of her origin, except that she was at first only worshipped in Roman homes, a personal cult. Although the cult of Vesta was known throughout the Italic regions, evidence of it comes above all from Latium. T. F. HOAD "Vesta Vestals who lost their virginity, and thus dishonored the goddess, were buried alive. W. M. Lindsay, 1913, p. 97 L.). She had two very famous sisters - Juno, queen of the gods, and Ceres, queen of the harvest. 30 Sep. 2020 . Since the cult of Vesta goes back to the origins of the Latin city, it escaped the anthropomorphism of the Etruscan and Greek environments, as evidenced by Ovid, who writes that even in his time the ignis Vestae was sufficient by itself and had no cultic statue (Fasti 6.295–298). Römische Religionsgeschichte, Munich, 1960 (2d ed., 1967), pp. 108–110. Schilling, Robert; Guittard, Charles "Vesta Vesta is often seen accompanied by a donkey. Situated near the via Sacra in the Forum, in front of the Regia and linked with the Atrium Vestae ("house" of the Vestals), the goddess's round sanctuary (rotunda aedes; Paulus-Festus, ed. The goddess of hearth and home was certainly an important goddess. Who was Vesta, the Goddess of the Hearth? Once a year they appeared before the rex sacrorum ("king of sacrifices") and said to him, "Vigilasne rex? ("Are you watchful, king? Quick Comparison: Ancient Greeks vs. Myths and Legends of the World. It is very likely a shortened form of iuven-, as found in iunix ("heifer") and…, Lares As Vesta did not want to marry and was a peacekeeper by nature, she asked Jupiter if he would grant her permission to remain an eternal virgin. In ancient Rome, the Vestals or Vestal Virgins (Latin: Vestālēs, singular Vestālis [wɛsˈtaːlɪs]) were priestesses of Vesta, goddess of the hearth.The College of the Vestals was regarded as fundamental to the continuance and security of Rome.These individuals cultivated the sacred fire that was not allowed to go out. Refer to each style’s convention regarding the best way to format page numbers and retrieval dates. A Dictionary of Earth Sciences. . The lack of an easy source of fire in the early Roman community placed a special premium on the ever-burning hearth fire, both publicly and privately maintained; thus, from the earliest times Vesta was assured of a ." At the start of the new Roman year, March 1, the fire was renewed. ." ." Vesta. Vesta Roman Goddess of The Hearth and Home. Radke, Gerhard. Tarpeia, who betrayed the Romans during the war between Romulus and Titus Tatius, was also perhaps a Vestal Virgin (Livy 1.3.11). Ancient Romans, Comparison, US and Roman Republic Governments. This fire was renewed once a year on March 1, the beginning of the ancient year (Ovid, Fasti 3.135–144). Latte, Kurt. Some content of the original page may have been edited to make it more suitable for younger readers, unless otherwise noted. Encyclopedia.com gives you the ability to cite reference entries and articles according to common styles from the Modern Language Association (MLA), The Chicago Manual of Style, and the American Psychological Association (APA). Wissowa, Georg. Each year on March 1, Vesta's fire was renewed during a ceremony, and on June 9, the Romans held a festival in her honor called the Vestalia. Vesta was the Roman goddess of fire, family and hearth. The oldest form of her name, Menerva, may derive from the Ind…, QUIRINUS . Her cult eventually evolved to a state cult. . On the last day it was cleaned. Giannelli, Giulio. The girls chosen to be "priestesses" of Vesta were said to be "seized" (capere ) by the pontifex maximus, and this "capture" had important juridical consequences: from that moment, the girl was no longer subordinate to the patria potestas (Gellius, Noctes Atticae 1.12.9; Gaius, Institutiones 1.130), nor to a tutor (Gaius, Institutiones 1.145); she may, of her free will, dispose of her fortune, and she also may appear in court as a witness (Gellius 7.7.2). Myths and Legends of the World. ." In the Latin world di penates (always in the plural) were spirits protecting a house or a city. Florence, 1913. Jupiter granted this request, so Vesta focused herself on tending the fire and keeping the home. Il sacerdozio di Vesta (Pubblicazioni della Facoltà Giuridica dell'Università di Napoli). Esteem for the Vestals followed naturally. The name Iuno is a derivative of iun- and the ending -on-. 317). Sexti Pompei Festi de uerborum significatu quae supersunt cum Pauli epitome. The temple was ritually cleansed on the last day. This was her animal of choice in her role as patroness to the bakers. In Roman mythology, Vesta was the virgin goddess of the hearth. ELIZABETH KNOWLES "Vesta (September 30, 2020). It encompasses two stems: stem 1, *a 1eu-s, is found in the Greek heuo and the Latin uro, "I burn"; stem 2, *a 1u-es, lies at the base of the Latin Vesta and most probably also of the Greek Hestia. Gagé, Jean. When Cicero (De natura deorum 3.80) tells of the episode in which the pontifex maximus Q. Mucius Scaevola was slain in 82 bce in front of "the statue of Vesta" he must be referring to an honorific statue located in the vestibule or outside the sanctuary. A Dictionary of Earth Sciences. But she was not as important to the ancient Roman women as she was to the ancient Greek women. https://www.encyclopedia.com/humanities/dictionaries-thesauruses-pictures-and-press-releases/vesta-1, T. F. HOAD "Vesta document.write(unescape("%3Cscript src='" + gaJsHost + "google-analytics.com/ga.js' type='text/javascript'%3E%3C/script%3E")); In addition to the MLA, Chicago, and APA styles, your school, university, publication, or institution may have its own requirements for citations. 1 (1981): 343–373. Selene: Goddess of the Moon Powers ; Aphrodite Facts: Awesome Facts about the Goddess of… Filed Under: … AILSA ALLABY and MICHAEL ALLABY "Vesta Another origin, Romulean or Alban, may be infered: according to Livy (1.3.11), Ovid (Fasti 3.11–52), and Plutarch (Romulus 3), Rhea Silvia, daughter of Numitor and mother of the twins Romulus and Remus, was consecrated to the cult of Vesta by King Amulius, who wanted to deprive her of descendants. Vesta was regarded as an important energy in every home. Vesta, in Roman religion, goddess of the hearth, identified with the Greek Hestia. Roman women had far more freedom, especially under the empire. Vesta was an example of what the Romans thought a woman should be. In contrast to the sacrificial ingredients preserved in the anterior part of the sanctuary (penus exterior), these "pledges of destiny" (pignora fatalia; Ovid, Fasti 6.445) were kept in the "holy of holies" (penus interior) that was closed off by a tapestry (Festus, p. 296 L.) and accessible only to the Vestals. The second is inspired by Roman morality, and Cicero imagines the Vestals as setting a public example for all women. This work has been translated from the first edition by Philip Krapp as Archaic Roman Religion, 2 vols., Chicago, 1970. ." She was not an central figure of many myths. Dumézil, Georges. © 2019 Encyclopedia.com | All rights reserved. Vesta the goddess gained popularity both during the Roman state and in homes through family worship. "Vesta." Vesta held a seat on the Roman Council of 12 gods, the Dei Consentes. W. M. Lindsay, 1913, p. 94 L.). 2d ed., Munich, 1912, pp. Encyclopedia.com. Another innovation started with Augustus, who upon becoming pontifex maximus in 12 bce, even while respecting the old sanctuary of the Forum, had a chapel of Vesta (Aedicula Vestae) built on the Palatine near his palace and adorned it with a cultic statue (Corpus inscriptionum Latinarum, Berlin, 1863, vol. "https://ssl." See also Fire; The sacred fire burned until 394 CE. Aufstieg und Niedergang der römischen Welt 1, no. They were not always home. On the first day of this festival, the 'penus Vestae', the inner sanctum of the Vesta temple which was kept closed the entire year, was opened for women who came to bring offerings bare-footed. "Vesta und die frührömische Religion." Vesta was seen to protect everything that was most important to people's survival. They thought that if Vesta's fire went out, Rome would experience a great disaster. The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. PENATES . "Priestly and Female Role in Roman Religion. What is the story and facts of Vesta the goddess? "Vesta Encyclopedia of Religion. https://www.encyclopedia.com/science/dictionaries-thesauruses-pictures-and-press-releases/vesta, AILSA ALLABY and MICHAEL ALLABY "Vesta Known as Hestia, she was the daughter of the Titans Cronus* and Rhea and the sister of the gods Zeus*, Poseidon*, Hades*, Demeter*, and Hera*. Paulus-Festus. VESTA. The Oxford Dictionary of Phrase and Fable. "La sepoltura delle Vestali e la città," in Du châtiment dans la cité. Thus the beneficial fire, kept inside the city, was uncustomarily associated with the harmful fire, relegated to outside the pomerium, the religious and ritual boundary of the city (Vitruvius, 1.7.1). Encyclopedia.com. Everything We Know About the Greek Goddess of Agriculture; Gaia Greek Goddess: 5 Facts; Greek Goddess Hera: Where was Hera born? Daily Life for Patricianseval(ez_write_tag([[250,250],'mrdonn_org-medrectangle-4','ezslot_4',109,'0','0'])); Roman Emperors - Augustus, Trajan, Diocletian, Constantine, Valens, Achievements, Contributions - Concrete, Aquaducts, and more, Play Free Interactive Online Games about Ancient Rome, Early Ancient Rome - The Founding and Kingdom, Ancient Roman Religion, Festivals, Holidays, Ancient Rome - Rights of Slaves, Children, and Women, Ancient Roman Art, Architecture, Inventions, Achievements, Investigate Real Life Artifacts in the Museum of the Ancients. (September 30, 2020). Essai sur les dévotions et les organisations cultuelles des femmes dans l'ancienne Rome (coll. Then, copy and paste the text into your bibliography or works cited list. World Encyclopedia. Vesta was a beautiful goddess who caught the attention of gods Neptune and Apollo. She was rarely seen in a human form and most of her depictions paint her as a fire or as a presence we can feel around us. 20.3), Gellius (1.12.10) and Ovid (Fasti 6.259) but may be no more than a reconstruction from the established connexion between Numa and the nymph Egeria who inspired him: the Vestals drew water from the well of the Camenae, where Numa and Egeria met (Plutarch, Numa 13).