Vestal Virgins and Their Families

Abstract

This article reexamines the evidence for the relationships between the Vestal virgins and their natal kin from the second century bc to the third century ad. It suggests that the bond between these priestesses and their families remained strong throughout this period and that, as a consequence, interpretations of the Vestals' position within Roman society that emphasize the severing of agnatic ties through their removal from patria potestas may be misguided. When placed in the broader social and legal context, the ritual "capture" of these priestesses is shown to be a necessary feature of their priestly identity, which only marked the Vestals as extraordinary because of the unique intersection of religious and gender categories that characterized their office. Finally, the implications of these findings for the interpretation of Vestal virginity are discussed.

Tarpeia the Vestal

“…For Vestals as representatives of the citizen body, see, for example, DiLuzio 2016: 140; Pasqualini 2016: 79. Gallia 2015 offers a re-evaluation of the evidence for Vestal kinship structures, arguing that they were not as isolated from their families as previous scholarship has suggested.…”

“… 132 See, for example, Gallia 2015: 77–82 for the importance of Vestals in the politics of the Republic. Compare Hor., Carm .…”