TheT
V temple of testa st by Sai Basava, 1 vice president
The Temple of Vesta, or rather the Aedes Vesta, is dedicated to the worship of Vesta, the goddess of the household hearth or, as some scholars believe, the goddess of breadmakers. The purpose of the Aedes Vesta was to house the sacred flame, which, if extinguished, would
endanger the very being of the city of Rome, alongside the Palladium, which was thought to be a vital source of both safety and power and was thought to blind men who were to look upon it. A debate in the scholarly community considers whether or not Vesta was primarily a goddess of the lower class or whether she was a figurehead of organized religion, as most believe. Because there is more evidence for Vesta being a high figure in organized religion, especially with mentions from classical authors such as Ovid; it is more probable that she was a figurehead.
In Ovid’ s Fasti book 6, he talks about how he felt the presence of Vesta when observing the sacred rights associated with Parilia – which celebrated the founding of the city Rome – which he cited as being“... when the goddess, Guardian of Fire, was received in her temple; it was the work of that peaceful king, than whom no man of more god-fearing temper was ever born in Sabine land,”; the king referenced in the line is Numa Pompilius and how he established the original temple of Vesta, cementing him as both god-fearing and peaceful, the perfect public image. Ovid mentions that he had no clue about the inner workings of Vesta but alluded to the fact that bread was a feature central to the worship of Vesta, one of the sacred rites husbands were privy to. While this supports the fact that Vesta was the goddess of the lower class whilst also being part of organized Roman religion, it is clear that the state religion prioritized her and played a much more significant role in the larger Roman society as Ovid began his poem with her praises.
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