The Vestal Virgins are an interesting part of Roman history. They were a very important part of Roman religion and tradition. Being a Vestal came with privileges, duties, and punishments. What were the Vestal Virgins though?
The Vestal Virgins represented the daughters of the royal house and worshipped Vesta. "Vesta was a powerful goddess of fire," (Mark). The Vestals lived in the House of Vesta which was near the Temple of Vesta and on the Roman Forum (Gill). The Vestal Virgins were part of Roman religion and culture from 7th century B.C. to 394 A.D. (Gill). To become a Vestal you had to be between the ages of 6 and 10 (Gill). At that age you could be chosen by the chief priest or pontifex maximus go to the House of the Vestal Virgins. There you would be trained for 10 years, serve for 10 years, and then train others for an additional 10 years before being released (Gill). In total Vestals would be required
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Vestals had more freedom than most women at that time (Gill). This included the ability to handle their own property and emancipation from their fathers' rule (Gill). They were also very highly respected. "The Vestal Virgins were honored by the community, and had most of their needs provided for by the temple tithes," (Lutwyche). This means that the community provided for them. They were that important and respected. "Vestals were the only female priests within the Roman religious system," (UNRV) so they were pretty special; so special and sacred, in fact, that if a person that was sentenced to death saw a Vestal on the way to their execution they were automatically pardoned (UNRV). Another thing that made the Vestals important to Rome, was that it was believed that if Vesta's sacred flame was kept burning then Rome would endure and prosper (Mark). One of the Vestals' duties was to keep this sacred fire alight. Along with all this respect, freedom, and privilege came the duties of the Vestal
... middle of paper ... ... Moreover, the power of a god was bestowed upon them only when they were depicted with armor. The women would spend long days on their knees performing their duties.
The Romans, originally called the Latins after the volcanic plain were they lived, were founded around 753BCE after the battle across the seven hills on the Tiber. The battle was fought between twin brothers Romulus and Remus, ending in the defeat of Remus (Duiker). Religion played a huge role in the daily life of Rome, the state religion lasting between 200BCE-250CE (“Roman Religion”). Temples to worship the gods were built throughout the Roman Empire and family houses would also have a small altar and shrine. The Roman religion was a mixture of fragmented rituals, taboos, superstitions, and traditions that they collected over the years from a number of sources. The Roman gods and goddess were a blend of several religious influences. Many of the gods and goddess were introduced through the Greek colonies of southern Italy; others had roots in old religions of the Etruscans or Latin tribes (“Roman Religion”). Roman authorities were generally tolerant of the dietes and religious practices of Empire subjects and tried to foster loyalty to the empire by merging these gods and goddess into the Roman Pantheon (Overfield). Normally all the Romans would require was that the various cults not threaten public order or morality. Cults like Bacchism, Celts Druid and Christianity were seen as violating all norms of social behavior and threatened the stability of Roman rule (Overfield). It was not until the rule of Constantine that Christianity was accepted. This Essay will explore the two religious practices, Vestal Virgins and Roman devotees of the cult of Isis, describing their religious life before Constantine’s conversion.
often shut out from all possibilities of power, and they were generalized into four categories: virgins,
Despite their low legal status, women had immense power and influence over their fathers, brothers and husbands. These myths and legends were society's guidebook, which provided women with a manual about correct conduct. Despite being a guidebook for all women to use, the Romans couldn't simply say, "Look what happened to that mythical person. " You shouldn't do what she did. " This would have led to a very depressing and boring set of myths, so the Romans spruced them up a bit.
Loss of Innocence in Rite of Passage by Sharon Olds A rite of passage is defined as a ceremony marking a significant transition or an important event or achievement, both regarded as having great meaning in the lives of individuals. In Sharon Olds' moving poem "Rite of Passage", these definitions are illustrated in the lives of a mother and her seven-year-old son. The seriousness and significance of these events are represented in the author's tone, which undergoes many of its own changes as the poem progresses. From its title, the tone of the poem is already set as serious, and we know there will be a significant event taking place in someone's life. As earlier stated, a rite of passage is an important ceremony or a life-changing event.
Mary Magdalene was a woman who was a mystery to many people for centuries. She was mentioned only a handful of times in the New Testament. Even though she was only mentioned a few times she carried a lot of character. To this day there is not an extended amount of information to help support people’s thoughts and ideas about this woman.
They had stories about every god, and had a god for everything. In Perpetua’s Passion, Salisbury give the example of a personal favorite, the love story between Psyche and Cupid. After being separated from a jealous and angry Venus, Psyche is put to the test of trials. By the end and successfully passing every obstacles, Jupiter makes her immortal to be with Cupid. Salisbury brilliantly mentions this myth because not only is it mention the sacrifices for love and trials underwent, but also the story revolves around a woman. The moral of these stories is that you are young, brave, and persistent, you will achieve your earthly desires. You will also be rewarded by the gods with spiritual benefits. Perpetua would have known about the myth of Psyche and Cupid, and as a woman, could have related to Psyche. Growing up with the Roman religion, to be “brave and strong” in the gods’ favor, she used this teaching for her benefit as a Christian. Rewards for being in favor of God was not uncommon for the Roman religion she grew up
The females were supposed to be very proper and real and more attention was put on the female 's virginity. The gender roles are determined by the sexuality and manliness and feminism of the individual. This shows how some of the roles are chosen for the males and females. Males and females who were talented in the center of their manliness and feminism appropriately were acclaimed. Fortunate females got to take over men 's roles in the tribe.
Outward appearance was extremely important to the Romans and the first thing that new recruits learned was to march in perfect form. Once they knew how to march they were then assigned to the legions in which they would remain for the next 20 years of service. (the book) The legions were made up of between 5000 and 5500 men. In a legion there were 10 Cohorts and in those Cohorts there were 6 Centuries. Auxiliary troops, although not usually counted as part of a legion, were part of a legion and could raise the number of men from around 5000 to 6000. The number of legions active in the empire was consistently between 25 and 33. (internet, http://museum.simplenet.com/rome/military/military.htm) The average year for auxiliaries to serve was 25 years or less. After about 20 years in the legions they “graduated” to a veteran cohort, and continued service there for about 5 years. The soldiers who completed their 25 years of military service to Rome were given a “diploma” made of bronze. It was actually a record of their service throughout the years and a copy was kept in soldier’s files in Rome. (the book)
Each having a function in the life of the everyday Roman, that would require some sort of worshipping. The Roman gods were taken from the beliefs of the Greek gods. They are directly descended from their neighboring religion. The Roman mythology consisted of the high god Jupiter, his wife and sister Juno, son Vulcan, son Mercury, daughter Diana, daughter Venus, son Mars, daughter Minerva, son Apollo, sister Vesta, brother Pluto, brother Neptune, and Janus.(Classical Mythology)
In Milton’s Paradise Lost, Milton introduces lust as mankind’s tendency to escape from reality. In book nine, after the couple has committed the original sin, they impulsively seek solace through physical contact, hoping to alleviate the anxiety and avoid the immediate consequences. Milton demonstrates a clear contrast between prelapsarian sex and postlapsarian sex in which the former is an embodiment of love, condoned by God, whereas the latter is a forbidden act. He argues that the postlapsarian lustful sex will never be able to replace the prelapsarian consummation. By constructing a unique depiction of Miltonic love and marriage, Milton condemns lust as one of seven deadly sins. Immediately after consuming the fruit and having sex in what seems to be under an intoxicated state, Adam and Eve attempt to assuage feelings of guilt, ignore their mental anguish, and fill a spiritual voice. The couple’s anxiety is displayed through the speed of which the postlapsarian sex is taking place, the intoxicated state of the couple and heightened sensory perception. Yet when the couple realizes the futility of their attempts, they quickly accuse one another and beg for forgiveness before they can ever experience happiness once again. Postlapsarian, although meant to serve as a source of comfort only causes more corruption.
Throughout the history of Rome, from the monarchy to the late empire, religion had played a great role in it's society and was involved in almost every aspect of the life of the Roman citizen. It was common for each house to have it's own patron god/gods and ,on special occasions, the head of the house would make a sacrifice to the personal gods of the family. Also, great festivals were usually held in honor of certain gods and would include spectacles like chariot races and Gladiatorial fights.
Women during the Anglo-Saxon time period had many different roles. A lot of it depended on their marital status. Unmarried women were treated and acted very different then a married woman would. An unmarried woman had much more freedom, allowing them to carry out their day without a husband by their side. “She was considered ‘on par’ with men.” They were able to make their own decisions by making wills, buying and owning land, or being sued. A woman would often wish to be single when it came to their rights (Anglo-Saxon Marriages).
The Romans believed in many gods and goddesses. They believed that they would come down to earth and change anyone’s life at any time. The people felt the need to keep the gods happy at all times. The Romans believed that for every aspect of their lives a separate god or goddesses was in control of their fate, and worshipped him or her separately. For example during times of war the people would pray to Mars, the god of war, in order to win (Shuter). The Romans built large temples to their state gods, and had small shrine in their homes and so they could pray to the household gods. “They believed in two kinds of gods, the powerful gods and goddesses of the state religion and the friendly household spirits who protected their homes (Chandler)....
Both the Greek and the Roman civilization were polytheistic. Greeks were a very religious people. In Greece each city-state had a patron god or goddess that protected their city. Greeks believed that their Gods appeared in human form but had superhuman strength and ageless beauty. Many of the Gods are depicted on various painted scenes on vases, and stone, terracotta and bronze sculptures by themselves or in mythological scenes interacting with humans and lesser Gods (Realign and Death). Rome’s Gods and Goddesses were from a blend of a variety of cultures including Greece. They too believed the gods were actively involved in their everyday life, so much so that they held sacred meals for their Gods during religious festivals in which the invitations were sent in the God’s name and a place was set for them at the table. The oldest male in the family preformed religious rituals for the whole household to the family God, while the state employed priests and Priestesses to worship at the temple. Though they could not predict the future the priests were the one who could read signs to see if the Gods were happy or angry with the people. In the first century a new religion was born in the Rome that spread all throughout the empire and corners of the world, Christianity (Life in