Miniailo N. Vestals within the political and religious life of Ancient Rome (VIII century BC - 27 BC).

Thesis is dedicated to the study of Vestals' role within the religious and political life of Ancient Rome. Using the wide range of sources the author showed Vestals' state of life during Roman Kingdom and Roman Republic from VIII century BC to 27 BC. The ancient origin of Vesta's cult and its importance for Ancient Roman civitas had been identified as the result of the study. Vesta was worshiped at three layers: at families level, at curia level and at state level. Using the archeological evidences the formation of Vesta's cult could be dated back to 600 BC. This is not against data on Ancient Roman tradition. The authors' view of Vestals' ceremonies and rituals is given in the work. That concerns the "taking" ceremony of Vestal, called captio. There could be several stages identified that could be divided into two groups: rites of separation and rites of incorporation. Through these rituals a girl was separated from secular and brought to spiritual life. The thesis of Vestals' liminal state within the Roman society was developed. The ambiguity of their state is captured through the vast diversity of symbols including the clothes. Ancient Roman Vestal's costume included such elements as stola, palla, infula, the vitta, suffibulum, their hair was made into sex crines. Stola and palla were usually matronas' clothes while the vitta, infula and sex crines were elements of the bride's clothes that were to symbolize the virginity and cleanness. Moreover Vestals were personae sui iuris. This also works as the evidence of the liminal state of Vesta's priestesses in the Roman society. A significant role inside the thesis is dedicated to the castitas notion. During the study the exceptional importance of moral and physical cleanness as the part of Vesta's cult was identified as the fire according to the ancient people's believes was a clean element. Vesta's priestesses were the exemplars of moral cleanness for Roman females. The main Vestals' role was to impersonate the stability inside the society. The problem of incestum i.e. loss of virginity was carefully studied because of it. The priestess convicted in incestum, was suggested to study as pharmakos i.e. scapegoat during the extraordinary circumstances for Roman society. The central state of Vestals within Ancient Roman religious life made them marginalized persons. "Taken" Vestal was dissolving the connections with her family and during 30 years she was unable to marry. This fact was turning Vestals into perfect victims.