Vesta and Vestals

Vesta, the goddess of fire and hearth, is one of the most popular and mysterious goddesses of the Roman pantheon.

At first, she was worshipped only in the Roman homes as a personal cult, but since hearth and home were the backbone of Roman society the king Numa Pompilius established her cult to symbolize the Roman state.

House of Vestals 

In her circular temple the eternal sacred flame was maintained by six white-clad virgins. The extinction of fire would have brought bad omens and bad luck to Rome and this was an unthinkable sin.

The Vestals came to the service of the goddess when they were from 6 to 10 years old, chosen from among the finest of Rome's elite families. To be a likely candidates the young girls had to be of fair countenance, have no physical defect and take a vow of virginity for 30 years.