Importance Of The Vestal Virgins

When one thinks of Roman history, women are usually left out of the picture. However, besides their role as mothers and wives, they played an even more significant role in Roman society as “the Vestal Virgins.” With their elevated status under the title of “virgin,” the Vestals had certain privileges that other women did not, such as appearing in public, appear in court, and were even revered in public outings.

In the article titled “Law, Religion, and Constitution of the Vestal Virgins,” by Inge Kroppenberg’s article, he explains the importance of the Vestal virgins in early Roman society. Not only were the virgins, or virgos, important religiously to Roman culture but society and political as well. These women were revered and respected all throughout the Roman empire. So much in fact that if one of them to go into

In this regard, Kroppenberg also mentions that, “in addition, the Vestal Virgins were the only women in Rome permitted to appear in court and give testimony in person…by contrast, the pleas submitted by women who did not belong to the cult of Vesta were read in court, probably to enable legal guardians to monitor the testimony of their wards.” Common women (those who are not of the vestal virgin cult) weren’t permitted to come to court at all, let alone speak themselves in court. This alone emphasizes just how much power these women had and their significance to that of Rome. However, their power of influence does not stop in court. One of the significant purposes of the vestal virgins was prosperity in Rome. According to Kroppenberg, a Vestal’s virginity was a kind of insurance guaranteeing the welfare of the state. The opposite conclusion could also be drawn: if the res publica was prospering, which in Rome mainly meant military success, it was a sure sign that the Vestals were chaste and were performing their religious tasks