Hello podcast listeners, a quick notice before we get started with this episode.

We have a live show coming up, Melbourne 23 September, 6 PM at the Wheeler Center.

Come along and hear myself from Riana and Evans talk about Augustus, the making of an emperor.

Good way to celebrate his birthday really.

Tickets are free, but you better book now.

Hope to see you there.

And with that, Avey, and welcome to Emperors of Rome, a Roman history podcast from Latrobe University.

I'm your host Matt Smith and with me Roman History Podcasts from Lattrobe University.

I'm your host Matt Smith and with me today is Dr. Peter Greenfield, a public historian and one

half of fellow Australian Roman History Podcast, The Partial partial historians. This is episode CXX VI.

Vestal Virgins. The Vestals were an order of priestesses who were sacred to Rome and were respected and revered as

symbols of safe and stable empire.

They had the all important duty of maintaining the sacred flame, and if it were extinguished, it would be a sign of impending disaster.

Here's Peter Greenfield. The Vessal Virgins are six priestesses that are

selected between the ages of six and ten. So they're

chosen quite young. And they serve the goddess Vesta for about 30 years at a

minimum it can go longer than that.

And who is the goddess Vesta?

Vesta is the goddess of the hearth.

So we think she's related to the Greek goddess Hestia.

There seems to be a slippage in the names there, but she resides in the hearth fire.

So she exists in all of the fires domestically.

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