The picturesque ruins of the ancient ancient sanctuary, which tourists admire when visiting that part of the forum, which, according to the guides, in ancient times adjoined the road, are the remains of the Vesta temple.
The temple of the goddess Vesta in ancient Rome was a special place. And what made it special was not the location close to the Caesar's and Regia’s temple, or the fact that becoming a vestal was extremely prestigious. A fire was constantly burning in this place - that was its special significance for Rome. The eternal flame, an unquenchable hearth - one of the most important symbols of the well-being of the Empire. Local guides often tell tourists the legend that as soon as the fire goes out in the shrine of Vesta, the state will decline. It is not paradoxical, but after the closure of the temple, affairs in the Empire really went very badly.
Who is Vesta?
This ancient goddess of the hearth, sacred fire, arising without man-made intervention. The goddess was also the personification of the sacrificial fire, and also symbolized the unity of the people of Rome.
In the legends, the birth of the brothers who founded the Eternal City is associated with the name Vesta. According to myths, their mother was a vestal who broke a given vow to a goddess not of her own free will, but because of the treachery of the war god Mars.
There are no sculptural images of the goddess. Therefore, it is impossible to understand how the Romans represented it. However, many coins with its minted image have survived to this day. They can see the profile of a strict and arrogant woman with a neat hairstyle and a characteristic Mediterranean nose shape. In addition to the profile of the goddess, the Vesta temple in Rome was depicted on coins, which was one of the symbols of the entire Empire and the Eternal City. There were no statues of the goddess in her temples, as well as in houses. The Romans believed that the fire in the hearth of the temple - this is Vesta, so there was no need for additional images.
What was the cult of this goddess?
The cult of Vesta, which lasted more than a millennium, was originally carried out by the forces of the daughters of the kings. Subsequently, the priestesses, who were called vestals, began to serve the goddess. The main duty of the priestesses was to maintain fire in the center of the sanctuary. If the fire suddenly went out, it was considered a bad omen or evidence that one of the priestesses violated the vow given to her by the goddess and angered her thereby.
However, the fire was also extinguished specially. This was done once a year, in early March. After attenuation, the focus was cleaned and fired again by friction of the sticks and the light focus obtained by using a magnifier.
Holidays in honor of the goddess were called vestal. They passed at the beginning of summer. At this time, the Temple of Vesta in Rome opened its doors, and barefoot women brought cakes to the goddess. It was a special holiday for everyone involved in the preparation of bread. Bread was one of the symbols of Vesta, from ancient times, when it was still baked in ash, which remains hot after the fire has died out.
Therefore, on holiday all bakeries, ovens and mills were decorated with garlands of flowers. They also dressed and decorated donkeys with flowers. The donkey was a kind of sacred animal, a favorite of the goddess. According to legends, Vesta vowed to preserve chastity. However, Priapus, the god of gardens and fields, saw her sleeping, and decided to take advantage of the goddess's helplessness. But the donkey prevented him, waking Vesta with his loud cry. Another reason to dress these animals was that they were directly related to the production of bread - they turned millstones.
What was the sanctuary?
The Temple of Vesta at the Bull Market in Rome was built during the last years of the Republic. Scientists argue about the exact date of construction, since the temple was repeatedly restored and reconstructed. It is conventionally assumed that it was built no later than the first century BC.
This is a round building with columns, drawing attention to itself not with the luxury of patterns and decor or with the majesty of dimensions, but with the maximum simplicity, the absence 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 functionally connected with Regia. The building itself was round, and relatively small. Corinthian-style columns surrounded the walls. There was a hole in the roof through which smoke came out. Several steps led to the entrance to the temple. Vestals were always inside, both day and night. It was a kind of alternation of duty by the fire, most reminiscent of the modern honor guard.
What was the secret purpose of the sanctuary?
According to legend, the Temple of Vesta in Ancient Rome was not only a place of veneration of the goddess and a symbol of the state. Inside the building was a cache. A kind of safe - in which the greatest relics of the Eternal City were stored.
According to legend, relics that Aeneas brought with him from under the walls of Troy were cherished 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 inside a stone podium, and was a depression, presumably 2.4 x 2.4 meters in size. Of course, the fires were not terrible for him, 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, proceeding from the architectural features of the building, the size and estimated dimensions of the relics. In exactly the same way, the ancient buildings as a whole are reconstructed. But, since the main temple of the goddess Vesta in Rome was also reconstructed using calculations and comparisons with others, the probability of error in everything regarding the location and size of the niche-safe is very high.
When and why was the sanctuary closed?
The Temple of Vesta in Rome for many centuries was the place in which many girls of noble origin dreamed to be. Despite the fact that the vestals made a vow to preserve chastity, serving the goddess was one of the most prestigious occupations for a woman. This could be compared with the state posts and military ranks that men sought 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, almost rebuilt. At some point, those in power considered that Rome no longer needed this sanctuary. In 394, the temple closed its doors on the orders of Emperor Theodosius. Of course, the building quickly fell into decay and collapsed.