A condemned prisoner marched to execution in ancient Rome could be pardoned on the spot simply by locking eyes with a Vestal Virgin passing in her carriage. In a society that gave women almost no legal rights, these priestesses held wealth and authority that rivaled senators, yet they lived under the constant threat of being buried alive. In this episode we trace the full life cycle of a Vestal, from her capture as a child to the gruesome price she could pay if the empire turned against her.

We cover the captio ritual that took girls aged six to ten from their families and made them legally sovereign over themselves, the 30-year vow divided into learning, serving, and teaching, and the daily duties of tending the sacred fire, milling mola salsa, mixing the ashes of an unborn calf with horse blood, and guarding the Palladium. We explain the  ...