The Vestal Virgins: Guardians or Scapegoats of Ancient Rome?

Abstract: When disaster struck ancient Rome, someone had to be held responsible. Romans systematically attributed military defeats, natural disasters, and political crises to the moral failures of the Roman Empire and projected them onto the lapses of women in their religious roles, especially the Vestal Virgins. The works of Livy about the Battle of Cannae, the works of Tacitus about the trial of Pomponia Graecina, and the works of Valerius Maximus concerning morality demonstrate trends in how blame was a religious process and a political instrument in Roman culture. Allegations against religious women were predictable and they peaked during crises and declined during stable times. The Romans linked personal moral behavior to community safety through the notion of pax deorum (peace with the gods). The Vestal Virgins, who had the duty of keeping the sacred flame at Rome, held a status of extraordinary privilege and vulnerability, and so they served as ideal scapegoats whenever something terrible happened. Religious blame thus fulfilled several roles other than religious issues. However, this also depended greatly on social status; as in the case of Pomponia Graecina, who was acquitted, in contrast to the execution of Vestals of lower status. This

study examines how ancient cultures used religious structures to address challenges, gender influences on religious power, and the role of blame in maintaining social structures during times of disruption.