Dictionary of Greek and Roman antiquities. Ed. by William Smith. Illustrated by numerous engravings on wood.

1190 VESTALES. VESTALES.
83, Domit. 8; Orell. Inscript. n. 2233, &c.; 7 tended by her weeping kindred, with all the cere.
7rpea-eetouera, Dion Cass. liv. 24; 77 apXiepeia, monies of a real funeral, to a rising ground called
lxxix. 9). and we find also the expressions Vesta- the C(r)czps Sceleratos, just within the city walls,
linuL vetstigssisLamn (Tacit. Ann. xi. 32) and tres close to the Colline gate. There a small vault
maiama~ze. (Serv. ad Yirg. Ecl. viii. 82.) Ilnderground had been previously prepared, colnTheir chief office was to watch by turns, night tainilng a couch, a lamp, and a table with a little
and day, the everlasting fire which blazed upon food. The Pontifex Maximus, having lifted up his
the altar of Vesta (VIRlGINESQLTE VESTALES IN hands to heaven and uttered a secret prayer, opened
URBE CUSTODIUNTO ltNEM FOCI PUBLICI SEMPI- the litter, led forth the culprit, and placing her on
TE'RNUM, Cic. de Ley. ii. 8. 12; Liv. xxviii. 11; the steps of the ladder which gave access to the
Val. Max. i. 1. ~ 6; Senec. de P'ov. 5), its extinc- subterranean cell, delivered her over to the common
tion being considered as the most fearfill of all pro- executioner and his assistants, who conducted her
digies, and emblematic of the extinction of the down, drew up the ladder, and having filled the
state. (Dionys. ii. 67; Liv, xxvi. 1,) If such pit with earth until the surface was level with the
misfortune befell and was caused by the careless- surroundingl ground, left her to perish deprived of
ness of the priestess on duty-, she was stripped anld all the tributes of respect usually paid to the spirits
scourged by the Pontifex Maximus, in the dark of the departed. In every case the paramour was
and with a screen interposed, and he rekindled the publicly scourged to death in the forum. (Plut.
flame by the friction of two pieces of wood fiom a NAsumo. 10, Fob. Max. 18, Quzaest. Ron. vol. vii.
fpli, arbor. (Dionys., Plut., Val. Max. II. cc.; Fes- p. 154, ed. Reiske; Dionys. ii. 67, iii. 67, viii. 89,
tus, s. v. Jgais.) Their other orditoary duties con- ix. 40; Liv. iv. 44, viii. 15, xxii. 57; Plin. Ep.
sisted in presenting offerings to the goddess at iv. 11; Suet. Dowl. 8; Dion Cass. lxvii. 3, lxxvii.
stated times, and in sprinkling and purifying the 16, and frapgg. xci. xcii.;, Festus s. v. Probrumr et
shrine each morning with water, which according Scelersatus Campus.)
to the institution of Numna wras to be drawn from But if the labours of the Vestals were unrethe Egerian fount, although in later times it was mitting and the rules of the order rigidly and
considered lawful to-employ any water from a living pitilessly enforced, so the honlours they enjoyed
spring or running streann, but not such as had were such as in a great mleasure to compensate for
passed through pipes. When used for sacrificial their privation. They were maintained at the
purposes it was mixed with nmuries, that is, salt public cost and from sums of money and land bewhich had been pounded in a mortar, thrown into queathed from time to time to the corporation.
an earthen jar and baked in an oven. (Ovid. Fast. (Suet. Octda. 31, Tib. 76; Sicul. Flacc. 23, ed.
iii. 11; Propert. iv. 4. 15; P'lut. NZti. 13; Fest. Goes.) From the moment of their consecration
s. v. MAuries.) They assisted moreover at all great they became as it were the property of the goddess
public holy rites, such as the festivals of the Bona alone, and were completely released from all
Dea (Dion Cass. xxxvii. 45) and the consecration parental sway without going through the form of
of temples (Tacit. Hist. iv. 53), they were invited emoancipatio or suffering any Capitis densinutio. (Gell.
to priestly banquets (Macrob. ii.:9; Dion Cass. i, 11,) They had a right to make a will, and to
xlvii. 19), and we are told that they were present give evidence il a court of justice without taking
at the solemn appeal to the gods made by Cicero a;n oath (Gell. x. 15), distinctions first conceded by
during the conspiracy of Catiline. (Dion Cass. an Horatian law to a certain Caia Tarratia or
xxxvii. 35.) They also guarded.the sacred relics Fufetia, and afterwards commuiicatedto all. (Gell.
which formed the fita/le pignus issipes-ii, the pledge i. 12; Gaius, i. 145; compare Plin. H. AT. xxxiv.
granted by fate for the permanency of the Roman 11.) From the time of the triumviri each was
sway, deposited in the inmost adytcum (penus Ves- preceded by a lictor when she went abroad (Dion
tae, see Festus, s. v1.) which no one was permitted Cass. xlvii. 19), consuls and praetors mlade way for
to enter save the virgins and-the chief pontifex. them, and lowered their fasces (Senec. Cotlrovers.
What this object was no one knew, some supposed vi. 8; compare Plut. Tit. Gracel. 15), even the
that it was the lPalladium, others the Samothracian tribunes of the plebs respected their holy character
gods carried by Dardanus to Troy and transported (Oros. v. 4; Suet. Tit. 2; compare Cic. pro C'oel.
h'omn thence to Italy by Aeneas, but all agreed in 14; Val. Max. v. 4, ~ 6), and if any one passed,elieving that something of awful sanctity was under their litter he was put to death. (Plut. Nuim.
here preserved, contained, it was said, in a small 10.) Augustus granted to them all the rights of
earthen jar closely sealed, while another exactly matrons who had borne three children (Dion Cass.
similar in form, but empty, stood by its side. lvi. 10; Plut. 1. c.), and assigned them a conspicu(Dionys. i. 69, ii. 66; Plut. Ca)nill. 20; Liv. ous place in the theatre (Suet, Octarv. 44; Tacit,
xxvi. 27; Lamprid. Elayab. 6; Ovid.'Fast. vi. Asin. iv. 16), a privilege which they had enjoyed
365; Lucan, ix. 994.) before at the gladiatorial shows. (Cic. po Muren.
We have seen above that supreme importance 35.) Great weight was attached to their interceswas attached to the purity of the Vestals, and a sion on behalf of those in danger and difficulty, of
terrible punishment awaited her who violated the which we have a remarkable example in the envow of chastity. Accordinig to the law of Nurma treaties which they addressed to Sulla on behalf of
she was simply to be stoned to death (Cedrenuss Julius Caesar (Suet. Jul. 1; compare Cic. pro l'oit.
Hist. Comp. p. 148, or p. 259, ed. Bekker), but a 17; Suet. titell. 16, Dion Cass. lxv. 18; Tacit.
more cruel torture was devised by Tarquinius 4nn. iii. 69, xi. 32, Iist. iii. 8i), and if they
Priscus (Dionys. iii. 67; Zonaras, vii. 8) anld in- chanced to meet a criminal as he was led to punflicted frosm that time forward. When condemned ishment they had a right to demand his release,
by the college of pontifices, she was stripped of her provided it could be proved that the encounter was
vlttae and other badges of office, was scourged accidental. Wills, even those of the emperors
(Dionys. ix. 40), was attired like a corpse, placed were committed to their charge (Suet. Jul. 83,
in a close litter and borne through the forum at- Octav. 101; Tacit. Ann. i. 8), for when in such