Temple of Vesta in Rome. Temple of the News. When and why was the sanctuary closed?

On which tourists admire when visiting that part of the forum, which, according to the stories of the guides, adjoined the road in ancient times, these are the remains of the Temple of Vesta.

The temple of the goddess Vesta in ancient Rome was a special place. And what made him special was not at all the location near the temple of Caesar and Regia, and not that it was extremely prestigious to become a vestal. In this place, fire was constantly burning - this is what its special significance for Rome was. Eternal flame, inextinguishable hearth - one of the most important symbols of the well-being of the Empire. Local guides often tell tourists a legend that as soon as the fire in the sanctuary of Vesta goes out, the state will fall into decay. Paradoxical as it may seem, but after the temple was closed, things in the Empire really went from bad to worse.

Who is Vesta?

This ancient goddess of the hearth, the sacred fire that arises without man-made intervention. The goddess was also the personification of the sacrificial fire, and also symbolized the unity of the people of Rome.

The name of Vesta is associated in legends with the birth of the brothers who founded the Eternal City. According to the myths, their mother was a Vestal Virgin, who broke her vow to the goddess not of her own free will, but because of the deceit of Mars, the god of war.

There are no sculptural images of the goddess left. Therefore, it is impossible to understand how the Romans represented it. However, many coins with its chased image have survived to this day. They show the profile of a stern and haughty woman with a neat haircut and a characteristic Mediterranean nose shape. In addition to the profile of the goddess, the temple of Vesta in Rome was also depicted on the coins, which was one of the symbols of both the entire Empire and the Eternal City. There were no statues of the goddess in her temples at all, as well as in houses. The Romans believed that the fire in the hearth of the temple is Vesta, so there was no need for additional images.

What was the cult of this goddess?

The cult of Vesta, which existed for more than a millennium, was originally carried out by the forces of the daughters of kings. Subsequently, priestesses, who were called vestals, began to serve the goddess. The main duty of the priestesses was to maintain the fire in the hearth of the sanctuary. If the fire suddenly went out, it was considered a bad omen or evidence that one of the priestesses had violated her vow to the goddess and thereby angered her.

However, the fire was put out on purpose. This was done once a year, at the beginning of March. After attenuation, the hearth was cleaned and re-ignited by rubbing the sticks and a light focus obtained using a magnifying glass.

Holidays in honor of the goddess were called Vestalia. They passed at the beginning of summer. At this time, the temple of Vesta in Rome opened its doors, and barefoot women carried cakes as a gift to the goddess. It was a special holiday for everyone who was involved in the preparation of bread. Bread has been one of the symbols of Vesta since ancient times, when it was still baked in the ashes that remained hot after the fire had died down.

Therefore, on the holiday, all bakeries, ovens and mills were decorated with garlands of flowers. Donkeys were also dressed up and decorated with flowers. The donkey was a kind of sacred animal, a favorite of the goddess. According to legend, Vesta took a vow of celibacy. However, Priapus, the god of gardens and fields, saw her sleeping, and decided to take advantage of the helplessness of the goddess. But the donkey prevented him, waking Vesta with his loud cry. Another reason to dress up these animals was that they were directly related to the production of bread - they rotated millstones.

What was the sanctuary?

The Temple of Vesta on the Bull was built during the last years of the existence of the Republic. Scientists argue about the exact date of construction, since the temple was repeatedly restored and reconstructed. Conventionally, it is considered that it was built no later than the first century BC.

This is a round building with columns, which draws attention not to the luxury of patterns and decor or the majesty of size, but to the maximum simplicity, lack of frills and the high cost of the building material itself.

The sanctuary was a single architectural ensemble with the House of Vestals. Also, the Temple of Vesta in Rome was functionally connected to the Regia. The building itself was round, and comparatively small. The walls were surrounded by columns made in the Corinthian style. There was a hole in the roof through which smoke escaped. Several steps led up to the entrance to the temple. There were always vestals inside, both day and night. It was a kind of alternation of duty by the fire, most of all reminiscent of a modern guard of honor.

What was the secret purpose of the sanctuary?

According to legend, the temple of Vesta in Ancient Rome was not only a place of worship for the goddess and a symbol of the state. There was a cache inside the building. A kind of safe, which kept the greatest relics of the Eternal City.

According to legend, relics that Aeneas brought with him from under the walls of Troy were kept in a secret niche inside the building of the sanctuary. Among these relics were the image of Minerva and the Palladium - a statue of Athena, which is a talisman.

What is known about the cache?

The cache was located inside a stone podium, and was a recess, presumably 2.4 x 2.4 meters in size. Of course, he was not afraid of fires, because the stone does not burn.

However, the size and location of this ancient safe have not been established for certain. They are only calculated by scientists based on the architectural features of the building, the size and estimated dimensions of the relics. Ancient buildings as a whole are reconstructed in exactly the same way. But, since the main temple of the goddess Vesta in Rome was also reconstructed using calculations and comparison with others, the probability of error in everything related to the location and size of the safe niche is very high.

When and why was the sanctuary closed?

The Temple of Vesta in Rome for many centuries was the place where many girls of noble birth dreamed of being. Despite the fact that the Vestals took a vow of chastity, serving the goddess was one of the most prestigious occupations for a woman. This could be compared to government posts and military ranks that men aspired to achieve.

However, due to the fact that the fire in the temple was never supposed to go out, fires often occurred. During these disasters, the sanctuary burned out, then it was restored, practically rebuilding. At some point, those in power felt that Rome no longer needed this sanctuary. In 394, the temple closed its doors by order of Emperor Theodosius. Of course, the building quickly fell into disrepair and collapsed.

Was one of the most important in Rome. It was located, like the rest of the main Roman temples, in the Roman Forum.

History of the Temple

The fire that burned in this temple was sacred to the ancient Romans. He was a symbol of the immortality of Rome, the immutability of state foundations and order in the country.

Every year on July 9, the Romans came barefoot to the Temple of Vesta and asked the goddess for patronage and intercession for the city. There was no image of the goddess in the Temple of Vesta. It was believed that the goddess lives in fire. Therefore, the extinction of the flame entailed great disasters for the Romans. Fire in the Temple of Vesta supported six girls who were vestals. During the sacrifices, the Vestals were engaged in the preparation of mixtures of salt, flour and ashes of sacrificial animals.

In Rome there was custom, according to which the Vestals once a year, in the month of March, solemnly extinguished the fire in the Temple of Vesta, and then lit it again. From this new flame a fire was kindled in the curiae. Also at this moment, the sacred laurels stored there were renewed in the temple.

The Temple of Vesta in Ancient Rome also stores other shrines of the city - palladium or the ancient image of the goddess Athena, which Aeneas brought to Rome, as well as regia.

Who are the vestals

TO vestals increased demands were made. The vestals chose girls from 6 to 10 years old, who were from very noble families. A prerequisite was that these families had to live in. In addition, Vestals were not supposed to have any physical defects. As soon as a girl became a vestal, she got rid of the power of her father, which until that moment had been unlimited.

Vestals lived closed in a special house at the Temple of Vesta. The service life of vestals was 30 years. During this time, Vestals were required to remain celibate. After the end of the service in the Temple of Vesta, the Vestal Virgins became the richest people in Rome. They could live a normal life and start a family.

However in ancient rome it was believed that marriage with a vestal would not bring good luck in business. Violation of the vow of chastity by a vestal was considered the worst crime in Rome. It was believed that by this act she defiled the sacred fire. As punishment for this transgression, a Vestal Virgin was buried alive outside the walls of Rome. The one who tried to seduce the Vestal Virgin was also executed.

The Vestal Virgins were held in high esteem in Rome. When the Vestal walked through the streets of the city, lictors with axes walked in front of her, and those who tried to offend or offend the Vestal were threatened with the death penalty. The Vestal Virgins also had the right to travel in chariots to the city. In addition, the vestal could bestow life on the condemned to death, and at the gladiatorial games, in the absence of the emperor, she could bestow life on the defeated fighter. Since the Vestals enjoyed immunity in Rome, the Romans often gave the Vestals especially important documents or large sums of money for safekeeping.

View of the Temple of Vesta

Cult of Vesta came to Rome from Lavinium, a city that, according to legend, was also founded by Aeneas. In all the houses of the Romans Vesta was dedicated to the entrance to the house, which from that time was called the vestibule.

Temple of Vesta on the map

The temple of the goddess Vesta is one of the famous religious buildings of Ancient Rome. It was erected in honor of the goddess Vesta, who personified the hearth, family happiness and comfort. The temple is located in the very middle of the Roman Forum, namely in its southeastern part. Also nearby is the Temple of Caesar.

History of creation

A temple was erected near the Tiber River during the reign of Numa Pompilius. It happened around the 7th century BC. Located in the Bull Market, the Temple of Vesta has undergone restoration more than once. It burned for the first time in 394 BC, and in 191 AD, the last fire was recorded. But finally the temple of the goddess Vesta in Rome lost its grandeur during the reign of Emperor Theodosius in 394, when he banned the pagan religion. The ruins of the temple were found in 1877 during archaeological excavations.

The Temple of Vesta has an interesting architecture for Ancient Rome. Finished with snow-white marble and surrounded by 20 columns, it was also distinguished by its unusual round shape.

In the center of the structure itself, the Sacred Fire was always burning, which was a symbol of respect and worship of the goddess Vesta.

The House of the Vestal Virgins joined the temple of Vesta in Rome, and the residence of the main Pontiff was located nearby and was part of a single complex.

Cult of the goddess Vesta

The Temple of Vesta in Ancient Rome is interesting because there was no statue of the goddess herself inside. Instead of her image, in the middle was the Sacred Fire - a symbol of warmth and comfort, as well as the eternal strength and power of the unshakable Roman Empire. This is exactly what Vesta symbolized. According to legend, she rejected all the men who wooed her, and vowed to keep her virginity until the end of her days.

Vestals were the priestesses of the temple of the goddess Vesta in Rome. Their original duty was to see to it that the fire inside the temple did not go out. Only daughters from noble families were taken as Vestals when they were 6-10 years old. For thirty years they had to remain at the temple before they were allowed to leave its walls and even start a family. Up to this point, the priestesses of the temple were obliged to preserve their virginity.

If a Vestal Virgin violated her vow, she was buried alive in a previously dug dugout, leaving only a little food and water. The man who seduced her had no easier time - he was beaten with rods until his death.

For every June 9, there was a holiday held in honor of the goddess Vesta. Residents visited the temple with gifts, and on this day they freed their donkeys from all work. The donkey was considered a sacred animal, since, according to legend, it was he who woke Vesta when Priapus wanted to use her body.

How to get there

The Temple of Vesta can be reached by tram number 3 and get off at the stop called Parco Celio.

If you want to take the metro, then the station you need is called Colloseo (line B).

You can also get to your destination by buses under the following numbers: No. C3, No. 60, No. 75, No. 85, No. 87, No. 95, No. 175, No. 186, No. 271, No. 571, No. 810, No. 850.

Ticket price

The ticket will cost you € 12.00. The price of a reduced ticket is € 7.50. Children under 18 years old, as well as elderly people over 65 years old - admission is free.

Temple of Vesta and House of Vestals

All the activities of the Vestals were concentrated in a small area near the Sacred Way. There was a small, round temple of Vesta, whose shape refers to the ancient huts of the founding fathers of Rome. They say that the temple, like those huts, once had a thatched roof. In historical times, it was decorated with Ionic columns, between which stood patterned lattices; in the upper part of the conical roof there was a hole (as in the Pantheon), from where the smoke of the Vesta hearth came out; probably, there was some kind of metal structure above the hole, protecting the interior of the temple from bad weather. Several coins have been preserved, depicting, apparently, this temple; many show a sculpture on the roof, some show a curule chair inside the temple, which is not very reliable (a curule chair is a low seat on which only officials vested with power, such as a consul or a dictator, had the right to sit). In the Florentine Uffizi Gallery there is a relief of the 1st century AD. e., which also most likely depicts the temple of Vesta. On this relief, lattices between the columns and a tree growing behind the temple are clearly visible.

Temple of Vesta. Reconstruction.

From the temple of Vesta, only a round concrete podium, tufa blocks and pieces of columns have been preserved. Until the 16th century Renaissance building fever, all this was lined with marble. Some fragments were later built into various churches, including St. Peter's; much burned to lime. The ruins of this ancient temple paradoxically belong to the late imperial era of the end of the 2nd - beginning of the 3rd century AD. e., when Empress Julia Domna sponsored the reconstruction of the temple after another fire. At some point between the late Republican period (to which the images on coins and reliefs belong) and the last reconstruction, the Ionic columns were replaced by Corinthian ones. However, it is quite possible that the mosaic floor and ash storage pits are from earlier times.

Some accidentally surviving fragments of the temple were found at the Forum during excavations at the end of the 19th century, and in 1930 a small part of the outer perimeter of the temple was restored. The reconstruction proved successful; in any case, this monument flaunts on many postcards and calendars. For a long time it was believed that there was another temple of Vesta on the Palatine, but now few people share this point of view; the fact is that when the emperor Augustus was elected high priest, he, according to custom, had to move to the Forum, in the so-called Domus Publica; meanwhile, he did not want to leave his palatine residence, but gave part of it to the state and turned it into the sanctuary of Vesta, and Domus Publica gave to the Vestals. At the same time, the Palatine sanctuary was not a temple in the truest sense of the word. By the way, the temple of Vesta was not an ordinary temple either, because there was no traditional statue of a deity there - only a symbolic fire. The so-called “Temple of Vesta” on the banks of the Tiber, which we will talk about in the seventh chapter, definitely has nothing to do with Vesta - just any round temple for a long time, by analogy, was considered dedicated to Vesta.

House of the Vestals. 19th century drawing.

Next to the temple is a rather large rectangular area that was once occupied by the House of Vestals, Atrium Vestae. Streets were laid on four sides of it - Sacra Via("sacred") Nova Via("new"), Vicus Vestae("Vesta Lane"); the name of the fourth is unknown. The current location and plan of the building arose after the great fire under Nero in 64 AD. e.; both the temple and the House of the Vestals were rebuilt in accordance with the general east-west orientation of the buildings in the Forum that had developed by that time. The complex was rebuilt again under Trajan and under Septimius Severus. Traces of earlier floors and walls are visible on the lower level if you enter through the main entrance.

The house of the Vestals was most similar in design to an aristocratic residence, the dwelling of a wealthy family. (domus), only very large. Living rooms surrounded an open courtyard - an atrium - with pools to collect rainwater. In the center of the east wing was a large room with three smaller rooms on three sides of it. These, most likely, are not the "apartments" of the Vestals - the house is so large that each of the priestesses had their own spacious chambers, including rooms for servants and slaves - but perhaps some kind of ceremonial place, such as a common refectory. In republican times, there were shops on the outside of the house, the income from which went to the vestal budget.

Statues of the 2nd-4th centuries AD are placed along the northern wall of the courtyard. e., which were excavated here in the 1880s. The combination of statues and pedestals with inscriptions is arbitrary. Each sculpture depicts one of the senior vestals (Virgo Vestalis Maxima), on the pedestals - thank you inscriptions. One of these inscriptions dates from 364 AD. e.; the name of the vestal has been erased on it, only the first letter, c, is barely visible. It is possible that a statue of the Vestal Claudia once stood on this pedestal. The poet Prudentius in the hymn to St. Lawrence mentions that one of the priestesses of the most ancient Roman cult converted to Christianity:

Braided priest entwined of old

Already goes to the cross banner,

Already, Lavrenty, in your chamber

Vestal enters Claudius.

For apostasy, the few stubborn pagans who at that time still remained in Rome could erase the name of Claudia from the pedestal. By the end of the 4th century A.D. e. paganism, including the cult of Vesta, was finally outlawed, and the House of Vestals came under the jurisdiction first of the imperial and then of the papal administration.

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