FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   70   71   72   73   74   75   76   77   78   79   80   81   82   83   84   85   86   87   88   89   90   91   92   93   94  
95   96   97   98   99   100   101   102   103   104   105   106   107   108   109   110   111   112   113   114   115   116   117   118   119   >>   >|  
d lived in the service of the goddess. One of the chief functions of the virgins, in their service in the temple, was to keep the sacred fire perpetually burning. This fire was never to go out, and if, by any neglect on the part of the vestal in attendance, this was allowed to occur, the guilty maiden was punished terribly by scourging. The punishment was inflicted by the hands of the highest pontifical officer of the state. The laws of the institution however evinced their high regard for the purity and modesty of the vestal maidens by requiring that the blows should be administered in the dark, the sufferer having been previously prepared to receive them by being partially undressed by her female attendants. The extinguished fire was then rekindled with many solemn ceremonies. Rhea Silvia, the mother of Romulus, was, we repeat, a vestal virgin. She lived four hundred years after the death of AEneas. During these four centuries, the kingdom had been governed by the descendants of AEneas, generally in a peaceful and prosperous manner, although some difficulties occurred in the establishment of the succession immediately after AEneas's death. It will be remembered that AEneas was drowned during the continuance of the war. He left one son, and perhaps others. The one who figured most conspicuously in the subsequent history of the kingdom, was Ascanius, the son who had accompanied AEneas from Troy, and who had now attained to years of maturity. He, of course, on his father's death, immediately succeeded him. There was some question, however, whether, after all, Lavinia herself was not entitled to the kingdom. It was doubtful, according to the laws and usages of those days, whether AEneas held the realm in his own right, or as the husband of Lavinia, who was the daughter and heir of Latinus, the ancient and legitimate king. Lavinia, however, seemed to have no disposition to assert her claim. She was of a mild and gentle spirit; and, besides, her health was at that time such as to lead her to wish for retirement and repose. She even had some fears for her personal safety, not knowing but that Ascanius would be suspicious and jealous of her on account of her claims to the throne, and that he might be tempted to do her some injury. Her husband had been her only protector among the Trojans, and now, since he was no more, and another, who was in some sense her rival, had risen to power, she naturally felt insecure. She ac
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   70   71   72   73   74   75   76   77   78   79   80   81   82   83   84   85   86   87   88   89   90   91   92   93   94  
95   96   97   98   99   100   101   102   103   104   105   106   107   108   109   110   111   112   113   114   115   116   117   118   119   >>   >|  



Top keywords:
AEneas
 

kingdom

 

vestal

 

Lavinia

 

service

 
immediately
 
husband
 

Ascanius

 
sacred
 

daughter


Latinus

 

virgins

 
disposition
 

assert

 
ancient
 

legitimate

 
usages
 
father
 

succeeded

 

maturity


attained

 

accompanied

 

perpetually

 

entitled

 

doubtful

 

burning

 

question

 

gentle

 

protector

 

Trojans


tempted

 
injury
 

naturally

 

insecure

 

throne

 
claims
 

retirement

 
spirit
 

health

 
repose

suspicious
 

jealous

 
account
 
knowing
 

personal

 

safety

 
history
 

subsequent

 
goddess
 

female