vestals
Sacred flame keepers
Vestals were priestesses of Vesta, the Roman goddess of the hearth, sworn to tend the sacred flame and maintain virginity for thirty years.
The term now applies figuratively to any woman of exceptional chastity or purity: She guarded her reputation like one of the vestals.
The singular vestal can also function as an adjective meaning chaste or pure.
Goddess of hearth
- RomeItaly's capital city
- templeSacred worship structure
- virginOne sexually inexperienced
- goddessFemale sacred being
hearth · forum · Latin · toga · patrician · mythology · classical · antiquity
One sexually inexperienced
- purityUncontaminated quality
- celibacyAbstaining from intimate relations
- abstinenceVoluntary forgoing of indulgences
- vowSolemn personal commitment
modesty · virtue · innocence · continence · untouched · unblemished · inviolate · chaste
Sacred worship structure
- ritualCeremonial set of actions
- altarSacred ritual table
- ceremonyFormal event marking occasions
- oracleAuthoritative wisdom source
consecration · initiation · worship · devotion · sacrifice · acolyte · vestments · procession
Vesta
Goddess of hearth
goddess · hearth · forum · Latin · toga · patrician · mythology · classical · antiquity · senate
virgin
One sexually inexperienced
- purityUncontaminated quality
- celibacyAbstaining from intimate relations
- abstinenceVoluntary forgoing of indulgences
vow · modesty · virtue · innocence · continence · untouched · unblemished · inviolate · chaste · maiden
temple
Sacred worship structure
oracle · consecration · initiation · worship · devotion · sacrifice · acolyte · vestments · procession · sacred
hearth
Fireplace floor area
tending · embers · kindle · vigil · brazier · torch · lamp · sanctuary · perpetual · guardianship
- Ancient RomansJulius Caesar, patricians, consuls, Marcus Aurelius, Nero
- paganismWicca, pagan, heathen, polytheist, polytheism
- Roman societypatrician, patricians, plebeian, plebeians, citizen
- temple workersacolyte, altar server, sacristan, sexton, temple guard
- Roman figuresRoman emperors, Roman senators, Roman generals, Augustus, Julius Caesar
- Roman religionJupiter, Mars, Venus, Apollo, Neptune
vestalsharlots
Women selling sexual services
prostitutes · whores · courtesans · strumpets · libertines
- vestal virginsCelibate Roman fire priestesses