Vestal Virgins and Sol Invictus: Roman to Christian Shift

Introduction

Christianity has obviously made its mark on mankind. However, the early Christians — coming from different religions, cults, and worldviews before Emperor Constantine converted the empire — would have experienced this transition at varying levels, from revolutionary to marginally different. This analysis proposes that members of Roman society such as the Vestal Virgins saw a dramatic and revolutionary change in their daily lives. By contrast, not all members would have perceived the transformation as dramatically. For example, a devotee of the cult of the sun might have found rituals such as Christmas entirely familiar and consistent with previously held beliefs. Although the introduction of Christianity was a dramatic change for the whole of Rome, the differences were not felt by all demographics equally.

The Vestal Virgins and Roman State Religion

Of all the different groups that would have been affected by the conversion to Christianity in the Roman Empire, it is reasonable to suspect that the Vestal Virgins would be high on the list. The Vestal Virgins' sole responsibility in society and to the Roman religion was to remain pure until such time as they were sacrificed to the gods. The Pontifex Maximus was the chief priest responsible for the ultimate interpretation of divine law and also served as the guardian of the Vestal Virgins. Their primary duty was to preserve a sacred fire associated with the preservation of Rome — the hearth flame could never be allowed to go out.

The Vestal Virgins had a limited range of freedoms yet held a substantial amount of power in Roman society. To maintain this power, however, they also had to accept a life without any minor faults, as judged by the Pontifex Maximus.

Privileges, Powers, and Perils of the Vestals

The severity of punishment for those who violated their vows is recorded by Plutarch:

"If these vestals commit any minor fault, they are punishable by the Pontifex Maximus only, who whips the offender, sometimes with her clothes off, in a dark place, with a curtain drawn between; but she that has broken her vow of chastity is buried alive near the gate called Collina, where a little mound of earth stands inside the city reaching some little distance … When they come to the place of execution, the officers loose the cords, and then the Pontifex Maximus, lifting his hands to heaven, pronounces certain prayers to himself before the act; then he brings out the prisoner, being still covered, and placing her upon the steps that lead down to the cell, turns away his face with the rest of the priests; the stairs are drawn up after she has gone down, and a quantity of earth is heaped up over the entrance to the cell, so as to prevent it from being distinguished from the rest of the mound. This is the punishment of those who break their vow of virginity." (Plutarch, 110 CE)

Although the Virgins lived under the threat of a horrific death, they also enjoyed a range of great privileges in Roman society. Some believed they had access to many divine secrets and could administer their own time as they saw fit. They were also released from their duties after thirty years of service and could then marry or choose to live their lives in whatever manner they wished (Plutarch, 110 CE). Some scholars have proposed that these figures were in effect regarded as witches, based on: 1) their unique legal status; 2) their execution at moments of political crisis; and 3) the unusual details surrounding those executions (Parker, 2004).

The Cult of Sol Invictus

The cult of Sol Invictus, or the Unconquered Sun, was another sanctioned cult within the Roman Empire. Some emperors openly worshipped this deity. Emperor Aurelian, for example, not only promoted the worship of Sol in Rome but is also said to have established the god's birthday on December 25 and to have been associated with the inauguration of the templum Solis, or Temple of the Sun (Pedroni, 2011). The iconography of this deity depicted Sol as a bust surrounded by sunrays radiating from the head.

Conclusion

The Vestal Virgins would have had a revolutionary experience of the Christian religion after its official acceptance in Rome. Their duties and responsibilities were no longer needed after this conversion. Although they would no longer have faced the threat of death and severe punishment, they would also likely have lost the considerable benefits and social power that came with their position. On the other hand, groups such as the cult of Sol Invictus would likely have noticed many striking similarities between their previous traditions and those of the new church — including the shared Christmas date and, possibly, certain textual parallels. This contrast underscores the central argument that Rome's conversion to Christianity was not a uniform experience but one shaped significantly by a group's prior religious identity and social role.

References

Kahlos, M. (2012). Pagan-Christian debates over the interpretation of texts in late antiquity. The Classical World, 525–545.

Nothaft, C. (2012). The origins of the Christmas date: Some recent trends in historical research. Church History, 903–911.

Parker, H. (2004). Why were the Vestals virgins? Or the chastity of women and the safety of the Roman state. American Journal of Philology, 563–601.

Pedroni, L. (2011). The sun without rays and the eclipse of 272. Journal of Late Antiquity, 116–123.

Plutarch. (110 CE). Life of Numa. Retrieved from Fordham University: http://legacy.fordham.edu/halsall/ancient/romrelig3.asp