Podcasts about vestal virgins

The Time Riders: Part 7 Becoming A Slave Owner. Based on a post by BiscuitHammer, in 16 parts. Listen to the Podcast at Explicit Novels. Cast of Characters: Mark Simmons: 18 year old High School grad, enamored with Miss Becky Fischer. He finds the time machine and builds a new life. Uses various aliases in traveling. Rebecca 'Becky' Fischer: Mark's Physics teacher. Very intelligent, in her later twenties, Shapely Tall Blonde, lusty bisexual, D Cup tits. Martial arts expert, Uses various aliases in traveling. Henri: Claims to be a French physician and Apothicary. Chester Edgerton: Time traveling mentor, living in 17th Century French village. Cardinal Richelieu: ‘The Red Duke'. Statesman and Roman Catholic Cardinal. Dispises Queen Anne. Alexandra D'Assaut ('Alexa', or 'Lexi': Lady in waiting (and trusted advisor) to Queen Anne of France, Lusty bisexual, Very Tall, Busty DD tits, long golden blonde hair, Blue eyed. Lisette: servant (and lover) of Lady Alexandra, young, bespeckled brown eyes. Short, shapely, with wavy dark hair, bisexual. Dhallyla: Mark's mother. Roxy: Mark's sister. Nanu: An Egyptian slave of Pompeneia Flavius, purchased by Becky, dark complexion. Pompeneia: Roman hostess of Orgies. Lusty wife of Flavius, Mother of Domitia, bisexual, tall and shapely. Flavius: Roman aristocrat, husband of Pompeneia, protective father of Dometia, Domitia: Lusty young daughter of Pompeneia and Flavius. A pledged Vestal Virgin, Escapes to Sumeria when sentenced to death by starvation by Roman court. Pompeneia looked at Nanu and spoke to her somewhat tersely. "You are now owned by the Lady Aurora Horatia, who has purchased you at a fair price from me. Such belongings as you might have, girl, will be leaving with you when the Lady departs. Understood?" Nanu's eyes widened and she felt her heart suddenly pounding in her chest in shock and delight. Unable to contain her smile, she nodded eagerly. Pompeneia looked back at her guest and smiled. "She is all yours, my lady." Becky looked at Nanu and smirked, making a shooing motion with her hand. "Well, what are you waiting for, girl? Go find that lazybones Bonosus and tell him." Nanu was gone in a flash. Becky turned to look at Pompeneia and smiled wickedly as she leaned her back down on the couch and wiggled her way between Pompeneia's hips, so that her mouth was at her hostess' cunt. "Now, how about I find another way to thank you for your generosity?" she purred as she began sliding her tongue along those sticky lips; Mark was wandering through the darkened rooms of the parts of the house not currently being used by the orgy, still looking for a damn lavatory. Why the Hell did the Romans have such fucked-up house layouts? He'd passed about ten servants' bedrooms already; was he just supposed to piss on one of them? He paused as he heard a quiet noise, one he recognized quickly as sighing. It had been coming from a room nearby, and it was definitely a girl's sigh. Or a really femmy boy slave. You couldn't guess in ancient Rome. Either way, he decided to investigate. He tiptoed forward, looking into various dark rooms he'd passed. He heard another sigh, and then something more akin to a moan. He smiled slyly, identifying the room it had finally come from. He crept up and peered around the open wooden doors to look inside; She had her back to him, but inside the dark chamber, which was obviously a bedroom, was a young woman, with her face seemingly pressed to the far wall, and squirming her hips beneath her expensive clothing and beginning to pant. She had voluminous brown hair worn up on her head, exposing a shapely neck, and her stola dress had ridden up high enough to expose her lush ass cheeks, which were quivering and squeezing while she fingered herself. Grinning, Mark leaned against the door frame and just watched quietly. He wasn't beyond a good show. A tiny point of light near her head finally showed Mark what she was doing; there was a small hole in the wall, big enough for her to see through, and she was clearly watching the orgy happening on the other side. She was also clearly having a great time getting off to it. He liked the sight of her, at least, what he could readily see; she had a great ass, a slender back and shapely legs. Her dark brown hair, worn in several braids, was just begging to be pulled on. He couldn't see her cunt from here, but he could definitely hear how wet she was. He quietly entered the room and glided up behind her. She smelled of iris and roses, a perfume he found thrilling, especially here in this dark room, both of them unseen by the scores of others in the villa. His cock, still hard and throbbing, couldn't wait to be buried deep inside her. He moved in close and pressed up against her, his rigid shaft sliding between her legs. She shuddered in shock and drew in a breath, as if she was about to scream; but he quickly and gently clamped his hand over her mouth and wrapped his other hand around her waist. Her moved his head next to her ear. "You don't need to scream or be frightened," he whispered, feeling her still shaking. "I am the Lady Aurora's servant Bonosus, and I just want to be with you this day;” She turned her head, her eyes wide, as she tried to see him, his hand still loosely over her mouth. Her body was still stiff in possible panic, but she hadn't cried out yet. He smiled at her, trying to assure her he meant no harm. "If I let go of your mouth, will you scream?" he asked. The girl shook her head. For whatever reason, Mark believed her, and removed his hand from her mouth, and his arm from around her waist. She didn't run, but she threw herself against the wall she was standing next to, almost clutching at it as she turned around to face him. Her eyes were still wide, and he could see she was breathing heavily. "See? I'm not gonna hurt you," Mark said, smiling cheerfully. Staying pressed against the wall for safety, she looked him up and down slowly, noticing now that he was quite naked. Her eyes lingered on his erect cock for several seconds, as if captivated by it. He could now see her from the front, and what he was looking at pleased him; she had a pretty face, certainly. Not exotic, like Nanu, nor was she as striking and just plain gorgeous as Becky, but it was a pretty face nonetheless. Her eyes were brown, her cheekbones high, and her mouth sensual and full. The face; he knew it. Lady Pompeneia and Master Flavius! This must be their daughter. He continued looking at her body, noting now that her entire outfit was askew; not only had her dress been pushed up around her hips in front, to allow her to finger herself, but the top of her dress was pulled down, no doubt so that she could play with her pert tits. They were not large, but looked perfectly full on her slender frame, capped with brown aureoles and nipples, which were still hard. She had a tiny waist and womanly hips. He was going to enjoy fucking her. "My name is Bonosus, like I said," he repeated, moving in a tiny bit closer to her. She didn't try to escape, but perhaps flattened herself a little more against the wall. He tried not to seem so forceful. And odd thing, since he was at an orgy, and was already used to just fucking whomever he liked. "Would you tell me your name?" She finally spoke, her voice low and quiet. "My name is Domitia. I am the daughter of your hosts, the Master and Mistress Flavius." "I am very happy to meet you, Domitia," he said, smiling and nodding. In his ear, he could hear the implant translate her name as 'she who is tamed'. He suddenly had a very good feeling about this encounter. "In the name of my mistress' goddess, Feronia, I would ask you to join me in making love." "You; you are kind, Bonosus," she stammered, her face pale, but a flush in her cheeks. Her eyes were no longer wide, but turning glassy. "But I must; I shouldn't;” "I thought today was a day where all people cast aside their inhibitions, and did exactly as they pleased," he reasoned, stepping a little closer, noticing that she did not attempt to move away from him. "I already saw you looking through that hole there;” Now Domitia blushed furiously, turning her head to look at the ground. "I am ashamed; I should not; I shouldn't have been;” "What were you looking at, anyway?" he queried, pressing himself against her, his cock now flat against her belly, separated from her skin only by the fine material of her stola. She shivered as she felt his cock press to her, and her hands reached up and flexed, without touching him. Leaning over her shoulder, her wondrous scent in his nostrils, he closed one eye and peered through the tiny hole in the ochre-painted wall. He smiled slyly as he could see that the hole looked out on the palaestra, the courtyard in which he and Becky (and several others) had been fucking earlier. Even now, he could see a man bending a slave girl over in the shallow pool and fucking her from behind, while two women beyond the pool were lying opposite each other, legs scissored and slithering their pussies together. One of them was sucking on the cock of a slave who leaned over her, moaning and fondling her tits. "Well, you were enjoying yourself, clearly," Mark mused, turning and smirking at her. She looked at him, trying to smile back, but then just blushing and looking at the ground again. At least she wasn't trying to leave anymore. "Would you like to watch through the hole again while I fuck you from behind?" Something in his suggestion made her tense very suddenly, and she looked at him again, her eyes now wide. "I; shouldn't; no, my parents must not know I'm here, they; I should return to my domicile." "Are you married?" he asked, thinking that even if she was, she had showed up at her parents' orgy and was making herself cum, even if she'd been hiding. Marriage didn't seem to be a barrier during an orgy, near as he could tell. By his count, he'd already fucked at least four married patrician women and three plebeian women today. "Yes! No! I;” she stammered, blushing again and closing her eyes. Against her will, she inhaled deeply, taking in his raw, animal scent. Gods, he smelled divinely of sexuality, of carnality, of; heated fucking. It made her instantly wet, and her body trembled in need. "I cannot;” He smiled slyly and could tell that she wanted to stay. Even though she was protesting, he could already feel her hips pressing forward, squirming against him, desperate to finish what she was started when she was alone. She wanted to cum with him. "Then don't say anything," he whispered to her, his hands on her hips now. She shuddered again, her eyes wide and glassy as she gazed up at him. "Let me take care of this for you, Domitia;” He couldn't be sure, but the thought she nodded almost imperceptibly. Her felt her tits press forward against him. Her name means 'She who is tamed'; He took both her wrists in one hand and lifted them, pinning them against the wall over her head. She gasped and shivered, seemingly cowed by his superior strength. Her hips squirmed against him again, her tits heaving as she almost began to pant. Her eyes were flashing now, and he could see lust in them, almost as if it was forbidden and impure. He would give her what she wanted, that was certain. Domitia sucked in her breath as he put his free hand on her tit and fondled her, the soft skin yielding before his touch, his palm brushing over the hard nipple. Domitia bit her lip as she tried to remain quiet, her whole body trembling with a need for release. Mark caressed her other tit as well, pinching the nipple and pulling on it gently, making the brown-haired girl whimper and squeeze her eyes shut. "No; uh;” she gasped. His hand now found her waist and undid the cotton strip that belted the stola, letting it fall away. Domitia was breathing heavily now, especially when he began to pull her dress down, revealing more and more of her body. She gasped loudly as she felt his hard cock pressed against her belly now. She pushed her tits against his chest, squirming with urgency. Her protests made less and less sense by the moment, although he surmised it was just for show. Girls did that sometimes. At least, that's what Becky and other girls he'd fucked had told him. Domitia seemed to be no exception. Her stola now pooled around her ankles, revealing her body. The one flickering brazier in the corner of the room revealed that he had seen correctly; she had a lovely body. Not an erotic fantasy like Becky's, which was the product of the modern era of vitamins, yogurt, quinoa, hemp seeds and CrossFit, but still lush and attractive, and currently given to a deep-seated lust he wanted to fulfill. Her eyes were flashing as they stared up into his, her tits heaving. She bared her teeth as he reached down and cupped her cunt, which was now dripping wet. His finger slid up and down her length, finding her clit and eliciting a gasp. Her hands, still pinned above her head, flexed compulsively. She was breathing heavily now. "Keep your arms above your head," Mark said firmly as he released them and brought his hand down, both of them reaching behind her and taking hold of her ass cheeks. Domitia almost hissed as he lifted her up, her legs instinctively wrapping around his waist. She had readily obeyed, and kept her arms over her head, as if they were still pinned there. Her submission to him seemed very real and complete. Looking into her eyes, he held her steady, leaning her back against the wall while one of his hands guided his cock to her wet entrance. One he felt the engorged tip nestle against her lips, he placed his hand back on her ass cheek and began to push; Domitia breathed deeply as he penetrated, but then shook and whimpered as he encountered a barrier. Mark paused, but then felt her push her hips against him, and proceeded to lean forward against the wall. She shook and cried out, and Mark suddenly slipped deep inside her warmth easily. Holy shit, she'd been a virgin; awesome! She wrapped her arms around his shoulders and buried her face against his neck, trembling almost uncontrollably. Seconds later, she lifted her face and look up at him, her eyes glassy. Whatever pain she'd been feeling was clearly gone, now. He could, on the other hand, feel a single, warm trickle of a fluid down the underside of his cock, and the air smelled slightly of pennies now. "You have made me a woman," she murmured, still staring at him. "Let us finish this wondrous coupling now. Fuck me, Bonosus, servant of Lady Horatia;” She put her arms back above her head again, her wrists crossed, as a sign of his power over her. Mark nodded and began pumping slowly, sliding his cock in and out of her. Domitia trembled again, at the feel of him inside her, hard and throbbing, her cunt squeezing around him. She sighed loudly, eyes still locked with his. "A girl could die this way, and happily;” she breathed, squirming her tits against his chest. It was a bit of a strange thing to say, he thought, maybe a little morbid, but teen girls were like that sometimes, with the weird, poetic drama. He'd fucked a goth chick once, and she was; Domitia grunted and began pumping back against him lustily, all her fears of their fucking obviously gone. She was hissing through her teeth, grinding her hips against him as he made a sawing motion with his, pushing deep inside her wanton cunt. He could feel her cunt tightening around him as she found their rhythm, slippery and getting wetter by the moment. She jammed her lips against his and kissed him feverishly, their tongues wrestling between their mouths. He held her tighter, thumping her against the wall each time he thrust his cock deep inside her. She moaned into his mouth, and her warm skin was getting damp with sweat as he took her. She might have been a virgin mere moments ago, but her carnal desires would not be denied anymore. Domitia pushed back for all she was worth, her arms finally coming down and gripping his back. They were still kissing in a frenzy, and Mark was breathing through his nose, his hips smacking against hers. Domitia panted and moaned into his mouth with each thrust, her fingernails raking his back as she fought to get him ever deeper inside her. Her need almost baffled him, because he could feel the head of his cock battering her cervix each time he drove home. The wet sucking sounds her cunt made filled the room, even over the sounds of their groans. Mark was growing warm now, and he could feel that the sex tabs he'd used had already replenished his cum, deep inside his balls. When he did bust, this girl's first experience would see her overflowing with cum, his cum, and it would be glorious. He wanted to bring her out of hiding and over to the orgy. He wanted to fuck her at the same time as he fucked Becky and Nanu. Domitia seized up suddenly, shaking around him and screaming into his mouth while her cunt clenched him ferociously. He kissed her hard, making sure she didn't alert the whole house, and fucked her harder than ever, making her wail into his mouth again. He could feel his own body heating up rapidly, the distinct, tingling boiling in his balls letting him now that orgasm was now unstoppable. Mark pulled her hard against him, pressing into her as far as he could, straining and arching his back. The floodgates burst and he began filling Domitia with his pearly cum, and she panted and almost growled at the release. She churned and writhed on his cock, her frothy essence smearing his entire groin. He felt the peristaltic motions of his inner muscles, spurting his cum up his cock and deep inside his lover, a glorious, blessed release. Best. Orgy. Ever. He sagged against her, breathing heavily, while Domitia went limp in his grip, sighing in deep pleasure. She was no longer raking her fingernails over his back but caressing it gently, almost reverently. It was kind of backwards, since he was supposedly a slave and she was a patrician's daughter, but what the hey, she was a total subbie, right? She purred as she kissed his damp skin, still undulating her hips against him and squeezing his cock gently with her gooey cunt. He held her close, his forehead against her neck while he tried to regain his breath. This orgy was barely half over. There was so much to; The screech from behind them froze his blood instantly. He went rigid for several moments, before his head snapped around and he looked to see who was in the doorway. Gazing at the entwined pair in astonishment, bordering on horror, was Nanu. Still quite naked, her face was frozen in shock, her mouth working soundlessly. Confusion engulfed him, wondering what had caused the slave-girl to have such a caustic reaction to what she'd seen. Was it jealousy? It couldn't be that; she'd watched him fuck plenty of other women today. He looked back at Domitia, and saw that she had frozen as well, pale with what could only be described as terror about their discovery. That confused him too. What the Hell was happening here? Endless feet seemed to come stampeding toward them, and cries of shock now echoed through the house. Master Flavius surged through the door and stopped dead, his eyes wide as dinner plates. "Domitia!" he said in a quavering voice, pointing a trembling finger at the duo. "What are you;" Lady Pompeneia, accompanied by Becky, now bustled into the room. The matron stopped dead upon seeing them, her body shaking. Becky's eyes went wide. "Oh, shit;” she muttered in English. "Father!" Domitia called out, still impaled on Mark's cock, but looking over his shoulder at her parents. "Mother, I;” She made to move, but Mark's tool shifted inside her, and she gasped in pleasure and began wriggling furiously, fucking him again despite their ever-growing audience. People cried out in shock, and Lady Pompeneia's eyes rolled into her head before she fell to the floor in a dead faint. The cacophony grew, with Mark staring in confusion and Domitia grunting like an animal as she fucked her way to ecstasy again, seemingly unable to stop. A patrician woman entered and shrieked, scandalized by what she saw. "The slave!" she called out, aghast. "He has defiled one of Vesta's Virgins!" As if in response, Domitia shook and arched her back, wailing loudly as she came. "Seize that man!" shouted Flavius, his face purple with fury. Free men and slaves both surged forward, grappling onto Mark and trying to yank him away. But Domitia would not be pried off him, howling in protest and still grinding herself madly on his cock, squealing through another orgasm, even as they led the pair away. Most of the crowd followed them out, still clamoring loudly. Some women helped the swooning Pompeneia to her feet, and led her out of the room. Soon, the only people left were Becky and Nanu, who stood in the doorway. The slave-girl stared at her new mistress, who shrugged rather helplessly. Nanu turned and followed the crowd, leaving Becky alone in the room. It was eerily quiet now, the noise of the crazed crowd getting increasingly distant; people yelling in outrage, punctuated by the distinct sounds of Domitia cumming yet again, loudly. Becky finally hung her head for a moment, shaking it and smiling. "Oh, I can't wait to see how this turns out;” she said to herself as she walked out the door. The Wrath of Rome The mightiest city in the world, lord of Europa, teeming with untold citizens, slaves and foreigners. Blessed by Jupiter, greatest of the gods, and fed by the ancient Tiber River, Rome stood glorious and invincible, crowned with seven hills like jewels. Not that Mark could see any of that from his tiny, stinky little prison cell. He sat on the dirty floor, sighing despondently as he looked through the iron bars that separated him from the rest of the world. He'd found a corner that was not sticky with the effluences of previous inhabitants of the cell, crouching up with his knees to his chest. He suspected that the tab he was wearing would protect him from disease and sickness, but he'd be damned if he was taking any chances. He heard grunting and groaning from the cells behind him, then an absolutely disgusting series of splattering noises as someone began crapping themselves messily. He wrinkled his nose in revulsion and stared along the bottom of the wall, making sure nothing was likely to seep through. He turned his head and stared blankly across the small hallway at the cell opposite. Out of the darkness, a deranged, naked man appeared, his wild, scraggly beard greying and caked with God-knows-what. He cackled at Mark and helicoptered his cock at the new prisoner, all the while trying to shake the bars of his cell. Mark shook his head and looked away, finding a spot on the wall to stare at. He noted some graffiti, in Latin, brown with age; it was either dried blood or shit, but he decided he didn't care enough about what it said to get closer. He'd taken off the ratty tunic they'd given him, because it stank and had things crawling in it. Since he'd been arrested and dragged off naked from the Flavius villa, with Domitia still impaled on him, they'd eventually attempted to cover him up; somewhat difficult, since he was suffering from what was essentially medically induced priapism. Even now, he gazed down between his legs, noticing that his cock was still rock-hard. Had the tab malfunctioned? Was he supposed to stay erect this long? What the Hell kind of sex were they having in the twenty-eighth century that a guy needed to stay hard for a day and a night? He closed his eyes and pressed his head against his forearms, trying to figure out how it had all gone wrong; how the Hell was he supposed to know that there was a Vestal Virgin hiding in the damn house and masturbating? He'd heard of Vestal Virgins, of course, but he knew nothing about them. He'd paid attention in History class only moderately more than he had in Physics. Seemingly, he'd done an incredibly bad thing. Like 'fucking a pastor's blind virgin daughter on the altar' kind of bad. As decadent as Rome might have been, you didn't mess with their Vestals. He wished Becky was here. He hadn't seen her since he'd been dragged away from the villa, and he hoped she was okay. He had no idea if she was going to be in trouble or not, since she was supposed to be his owner. He groaned and shook his head, wishing he'd just wake up and this was all a dream; “Damn!” "Shut up in there!" said one guard harshly as he walked by. "Gonna make me, tough guy?" Mark grumbled, once the chip in his head had translated what the guard said, even though he could've probably figured it out on his own. The guard whirled around and stuck his arm through the bars, trying to hit Mark with the cudgel he was carrying. Mark hurriedly dodged out of the way and grabbed the club from the man's hand; the guard's eyes widened as Mark glared down at him, much taller than his would-be assailant. Mark was just over six feet, while the Roman was maybe five-three. The man's gaze dropped to Mark's erection, which pointed at him angrily. "Listen, pal," Mark growled, beyond caring about his hard-on at this point. "Try that again, and I'll shove this club of yours so far up your ass that you'll have splinters in your tongue for a month. Got it?" The man nodded hastily, his face pale. "Good," Mark grunted, shoving the cudgel bac through the bars at him. "Now fuck off and leave me alone." The guard hurried away while the crazy guy across from Mark cackled again and babbled incoherently at his retreating form. Mark slumped back down and continued moping. He'd been in this little crap-hole for the best part of a day now, without food or a chance to relieve himself, unless he chose to piss on the floor. He felt rather justified in sulking. Several minutes passed before he was interrupted once again. "Well, you look pretty grumpy for someone who spent most of yesterday getting laid;” chimed a sweet voice. Mark's eyes flicked open and he stood up hastily, gawking at his Physics teacher, who stood outside his cell, smiling at him in amusement. "Becks!" he said hastily, wiping at himself as if he had clothes on, forgetting that he was naked. "Hi! Uh; I'm glad you're okay!" "It's good to see you too, handsome," she replied, her eyes trailing down to his erection. She was wearing the elegant stola and accoutrements of a patrician woman now, much more modest than her attire just the day before. "Guess your hormones haven't worn off yet, hmm?" "Oh, he's got a mind of his own," Mark muttered, blushing slightly. "Trust me, the lynch mob was quite a libidoectomy. Where've you been?" "Well, once you got carted off, I thought I'd better take a look into what was likely to happen to everyone involved," she stated, seemingly not that concerned. "Roman litigation is a weird thing. They have trials, and you'll have a lawyer appointed to you, but the court of public opinion really counts as well, it seems." "So, I really screwed up when I fucked one of their Vestal Virgins?" Mark asked, trying not to sweat. Becky smiled. "Mark, you had no way of knowing, because she never should have been there to begin with. Vestal Virgins don't, in theory, belong to their parents any more, after they're selected for the honor. For her to be hiding in a room in her parents' house, jilling off, is a huge breach of her vows already, never mind getting caught with you bruising her brainstem." Mark thought about that for a moment. "So; Domitia's in trouble too?" "She's in even more trouble than you, to be honest," replied the teacher, shrugging. "You, you're some shmuck slave who got lucky. Her, she broke Rome's most sacred vows. She might as well have squatted over and peed on the Sacred Flame they protect, to extinguish it. Everyone associates the Vestals with the spiritual well-being of Rome itself. If one of the Virgins is impure, it's bad for Rome." "Damn;” he said under his breath, frowning at the floor. "Well, what about you? Are you in shit at all, because you're my owner?" "Well, not so far," Becky mused. "I'm sure that can change at a moment's notice, if anything goes really wrong." "Really wrong?" Mark exclaimed, gesturing to the cell around him in exasperation. "If this is only moderately wrong, I'd hate to see what's really wrong you're going on about!" "Oh, don't be such a drama llama," she cooed, waving dismissively. "We'll figure this out." "Are you okay, Becks?" he asked, making a wry face as he looked at her. "Last time we were in trouble like this, you kinda She-Hulked out on everyone, remember? You kicked at least five people in the crotch, one of whom was Cardinal Richelieu." "Yeah," she said almost wistfully. "I think my system is flooded with hormones from those tabs, and they're making me pretty mellow. I'm still in love with you right now, for instance." "Well, not to exploit your chemical imbalance here, but what are the chances of you doing something to make sure the man you're in love with doesn't die in this cell?" Mark said rather insistently. "Oh, you won't die in this cell," Becky pointed out. "The Romans weren't big on imprisonment at this point in their history. They're probably either gonna behead you or crucify you." "Becks!" Mark said loudly, going pale and beginning to panic. "You can't let them behead me, I like my head where it is!" "Yes, you are rather attached to it," she giggled. "And don't worry about getting crucified, only I'm allowed to nail you, after all. And speaking of;” She slinked forward, smiling saucily at him, lifting the hem of her long stola, revealing her wet cunt beneath. She turned around, presenting her shapely ass to him and swaying it back and forth while looking over her shoulder at him. "How about you put that stout nail of yours in my tool box?" she purred. "Now?" he exclaimed. "Not like you have anything else to do at the moment, Mark," she pointed out, still wiggling at him. "Move up to the bars and stick it out here;” Ignoring his exasperation, Mark sighed and pressed himself up against the bards, his rigid cock sticking out the other side. Becky lined up her sticky cunt with the head and pushed herself back on it, sighing in bliss as she did. Mark trembled as he penetrated her, having to admit to himself that it felt good to be inside his teacher. Becky closed her eyes as began squirming back against him, sliding his hardness in and out of her cunt. Eighteen hours without sex had felt like eighteen years, no doubt due to the hormones from the tabs. She guessed that their bodies, new to these stimulants from the far future, were not acclimated to the effects just yet; not that she was complaining, mind. She groped and massaged her tits as they spilled out of the top of her stola, reveling in the feel of Mark's lovely cock splitting her wide and touching deep inside. She stood up and pressed back against the bars, keeping his manhood firmly locked inside herself, wiggling and swaying, but also bringing his hands around to her tits, which he now squeezed and massaged in circles, making her groan loudly. The bars kept them apart somewhat, but he was still deep inside her, and that was what counted. Until she opened her eyes and saw the crazy guy in the cell across from them, looking at her with wild eyes, his tongue lolling out of his head, and jerking his filthy cock madly. "I miss seeing your face, Mark," she decided, turning around suddenly and pressing close to him again. She made him hold the bars, steadying his throbbing cock while she sidled forward, taking him inside her cunt again, sucking in her breath. She held onto the bars as well, squirming her hips. The bars were too closely spaced together to fit her legs through and wrap them around his hips, but he was still deep enough inside her to fuck her properly. "Hmm, baby;” If any guards knew what was happening, they chose to not interfere or even be nearby. They left the wealthy patrician woman alone. Of all the places Mark had expected to fuck Becky during their temporal travels, this would have been one of the last, he had to admit. Becky pushed her lips against his, kissing him deeply and lovingly. Their tongues tangled as she fucked him, exhilarating in the feel of his hard shaft in her and knowing she was going to cum quickly, and hard. She broke the kiss and stared into his eyes, her own flashing with lust. "You gonna cum in me, Mark?" she breathed, grinding on him hard, biting her bottom lip. "I want your cum in me, baby." He nodded, breathing heavily. He'd practically forgotten about his predicament, lost in the delirium of fucking his teacher. He pumped his hips back and forth in time with her movements, her cunt tightening around him and getting wetter with every second. He felt his cock throbbing and swelling inside her. "Yes, baby," she gasped, her skin flushed pink, her body trembling as she fought to hold on a few moments longer. "Cum deep inside me, Mark; oh God;” Becky clenched her teeth and arched her back as she pushed forward with her hips, straining hard; she felt Mark push against her as hard as he could, touching her cervix, and she shuddered and moaned loudly. The dam burst and he began cumming inside her, flooding her cunt with his desire. Becky shivered in pleasure, squeezing around him. They both sighed as the orgasm finally passed, leaning forward and pressing their foreheads together. Her fingers knotted with his and she gave him a peck on the lips before smiling. "Feel better?" she asked. "Oddly enough, yeah," he admitted, nodding. "So what do we do now? I don't wanna die here, Becks." "I know, don't worry, we'll figure it out," she replied, caressing his face with one hand while lowering the skirt of her stola with the other. "I've just gotta find out some things." "Can't we just bust me outta here and get out of Dodge?" he asked, not sure what the delay was. She gave him a quirky look. "Are we just supposed to leave Domitia to her fate? It's your fault she's doomed to death, you know. And there's also the matter of Nanu and what to do with her. We can't just prance around the timeline and mess up things with peoples' lives, Mark. I know you do it because you want to get laid, but there's still real consequences. You're living one of them." He sighed: "Yeah, you're right. I'm just worried." "I know you are, my love," she said gently, smiling warmly. "Just let me see what I can find out. Hang tight and stay out of trouble, okay?" She kissed him again lovingly and whispered something in his ear before sauntering out. He watched her leave and then sat back down, trying to ignore the fact that his hard-on was now sticky, on top of everything else. Getting shot by Richelieu may be have been ultimately worse, but this predicament was certainly less convenient. Some hours passed, and his mood decidedly did not improve. "Hello, my name is Faustus, and I am your legal representation during your trial," said a dull voice from beyond his cell. Mark's eyes drifted over to lay on a short, pudgy, balding man draped in a rather worn toga. He had some scrolls in a satchel he wore over his shoulder. He assessed Mark somewhat disinterestedly. "You are the slave Bonosus, yes?" Mark nodded. "And you are aware of the charges against you?" "Yup, I unknowingly boned a Vestal Virgin," Mark sighed, standing up, figuring he probably shouldn't be showing anyone any disrespect at this point. "What can I do for you, sir?" "Well, ignorance of the law is not likely to work as a defense in this particular instance, given the charge," Faustus said, tapping his satchel with his fingers. "Normally it might mitigate charges, but not where the Virgins are involved. At this point, I'm trying to spare you a cruel and painful death." "Swell," Mark said, his voice laden with apathy. "So, like, beheading instead of crucifixion sort of thing?" "Unless crucifixion is your preference, for some strange reason," replied the lawyer. "There is also the matter of your fee for my services in defending you?" Mark frowned: "I'm a slave, what am I supposed to be able to give you? Shouldn't you be talking to my owner, the Lady Aurora?" "The lady is proving difficult to contact, what with the entire city being in an uproar about you and all," Faustus reasoned, shrugging. "It may be up to you to see that my fees are met." "I don't have anything!" Mark protested somewhat angrily. Faustus trailed his gaze down Mark's well-built body, finally fixating on his erect cock and smiling lewdly. "Oh, I wouldn't say that;” Mark groaned and thunked his head against the iron bar that prevented his escape. He was wrong. This was worse than getting killed by Richelieu's men. Trial of Mark. Mark now found himself going through downtown Rome, but once again spending little time looking at the city; he was being hauled inside a cage on wheels along the Via Aurelia, with untold thousands of people lining the road, shouting, screaming and hissing at him. Rotten vegetables and rock-hard bread pelted his mobile prison, most of the projectiles not getting through to touch him. Mark didn't care. He stared out dully at the cacophony and churning masses of humanity, fully aware that his erect cock was pointing at them. He looked at the famed Palatine Hill and saw a large, rotund temple there, along with a vast manor. Outside the manor, standing on those distant steps, he saw many women dressed as Domitia had been, with their hair worn in the same style, staring down at him impassively. He almost laughed bitterly, knowing exactly who they are. No young person, ever, understood better than Mark now how important it was to pay attention to your studies. After all, it was about to cost him his head. His eyes widened when he saw Domitia dragged out the front doors of the manor by several servants and forced to look down at him. She seemed none the worse for wear, except for looking rather distraught and haggard. He saw, but could not hear her cry out at the sight of him, before being yanked back inside roughly, resisting the whole way. His lawyer, Faustus, had informed him that he'd be tried in a public court, his sentence determined there as well. If all went well, he wouldn't be made to wait long before his sentence was carried out. The waiting was the worst part, the lawyer assured him. The procession took forever, at least in his estimation. He was covered in tomato pulp and seeds, and bits of lettuce and other debris were sticking to him. "Will they at least allow me to bathe or clean up before my trial?" he'd complained to Faustus. He stank and he didn't like it. The lawyer said he'd see what he could do. On and on, his mobile prison rumbled slowly. They entered a crowded forum, surrounded by the white buildings Rome was renowned for. He saw several landmarks, but barely noted them. The presence of soldiers became heavier now, guarding against disturbances from the famously fickle and moody population of the city. They arrived at the courthouse, and he was hauled out of his cage by the chains his wrists were bound in. He ignored the cries and vitriol of the crowd, who had stopped throwing things, for fear of hitting a soldier or important person. At least there was that. He was brought into a small anteroom, where a pool sat in the center. He was unchained and shoved into it, allowed to bathe. Several Roman legionaries stood over him, one holding a whip in case Mark dawdled for any reason. Careful not to anger them, Mark cleaned himself diligently, but also as quickly as possible. When he got out of the pool, they dressed him in a plain but fresh tunic made of low-grade linen. There was one rather prominent problem, however, and the commander of the squad guarding him looked at Mark's crotch and scowled. "Does that thing ever go down?" he snapped. "Look, you're not as unhappy as I am about it," Mark shot back, exasperated about his condition. "Believe me! I had too many oysters at the orgy and now it won't go away." The commander thought about the predicament for a moment. He couldn't bring his prisoner into the courtroom sporting an erection. He finally ordered one of his men to tie a strap of linen around Mark's hips, keeping the obscene erection fixed flat against his belly. The legionaries chuckled as he was trussed, but then became serious as they prepared to lead him into the courtroom. Mark took a deep breath as he was led into the chamber that would determine his doom. Becky was squatting in a hallway, humming quietly as she sucked on the cock of a young lad who was running documents back and forth within the courthouse. He was pressed back against the wall, his eyes closed and moaning in pleasure as he let her work her magic. He didn't know exactly who this patrician woman was, but he wasn't about to stop her, either. Becky bobbed back and forth, swirling her tongue around his hardness and gently caressing his balls. She couldn't believe how horny she was! It had been more than twenty-four hours since the orgy and these sex stimulants were still wreaking havoc with her libido. If this kid lasted, maybe she could fuck him? She needed a good orgasm. A horn sounded outside the courthouse, and Becky paused mid-suck, opening her eyes and turning her head slightly to look in the direction of the noise, her cheek bulging comically as his cockhead pushed into it. The young man was still trembling and almost whimpering, even though she was distracted. "Damn, is it time for the trial already?" she exclaimed to herself before she stood up, straightened out her elegant stola and hurried down the hallway. The young paralegal gaped at her retreating form, his body trembling and his cock throbbing. "But I; I;” he protested, even though she was gone. He couldn't stop it. He whimpered and danced about on his toes, cum spurting from his aching cock. He grabbed his crotch and sighed deeply, doubling over at the release. Too late, he opened his eyes and noticed he'd spattered his jizz all over the documents he'd been bringing for the trial; "The accused is named Bonosus, a slave owned by Lady Aurora Horatia," announced one of the scribes in the room, a rotund chamber that had benches lining most of the walls, allowing for spectators. Today it was crowded, because the charges were so extraordinary. "Prior to this trial, the lady Horatia has been determined free of all guilt, with no investigation or charges needing to be brought forward." Becky, sitting near the trial stand, smiled and winked at the presiding praetor judge, an older, distinguished man, who subtly winked back at her before turning his attention back to Mark, staring sternly. Mark stood alone in the center of the rotunda, his hands and feet manacled, a single beam of wan light shining down on him from a hole in the center of the domed ceiling. He looked back at the judge blankly. "The accused is charged with disgracing a sacred virgin of the goddess, potentially putting great Rome in her disfavor, and such charges warrant only the ultimate of punishments, your honor!" declared a man in a well-embroidered toga made of exquisite fabric and trimmed in yellow. Mark assumed this was the lawyer meant to prosecute him. "For this heinous crime, Rome must be cleansed, to appear cleansed in the eyes of Vesta! We demand this Bonosus be burned at the stake!" Mark swallowed and looked at Faustus, who was sweating and wiping at his collarbone, trying not to fidget. People around the room were talking and whispering to one another. The judge looked down at the pudgy lawyer. "What say you on behalf of the accused, man?" "I;” he began, already faltering. "Your Honor, we feel that the defendant, being a mere slave ignorant of all law and education, had no way of knowing that he was indeed in contact with one of Rome's sacred girls. In that light, while we do not protest his guilt, we ask for clemency; lashes, if possible, or exile beyond the Empire's borders; but if he must die for this crime, let Great Rome show its much-famed mercy and give my client a swift beheading." People in the gallery began shouting angrily in protest at his words, while many of the advocates and adjudicates involved in the case began laughing derisively. Nobody seemed to be in Faustus' corner about this. Mark flicked his eyes up at Becky, and she was simply looking in impassively. A sinking feeling in his stomach took over his senses. Despite his fear, his cock throbbed in yearning at the sight of her. "Faustus, Faustus," chided the lawyer representing the city of Rome, shaking his head almost ruefully. "My dear Faustus, you are so good-hearted, but this defendant of yours did not simply assault one of the Sacred Virgins, he did not merely violate her chaste body, he sublimated her. He changed her! He has corrupted her! Bring in the girl!" Mark's eyes widened as Domitia was dragged into the chamber, clad in her sacred robes, but with strips of red fabric bound to her arms and around her forehead. She looked terrified, but then she saw Mark and her eyes widened. Before anyone could stop her, she broke free of the servants holding her and dashed forward, howling loudly and falling to her knees at his feet. Everyone gaped in astonishment as she lifted his tunic, releasing his cock from its confinement against his stomach, kissing and then sucking on it hungrily, plunging it all the way down her throat in crazed need. People howled in shock and outrage at the scene. Mark, who hadn't had any sex in over twenty-four hours and was in horny agony, groaned loudly despite himself and gripped her head, pumping his hips against her face desperately as people rushed toward him and tried to pull them apart. Someone finally managed to pry Domitia's mouth away from his cock, but when spectators tried to drag her away, she wildly latched her legs around his waist, grinding and humping at him in a desperate frenzy of lust, the skirt of her stola giving way and allowing her to spike herself onto him. The judge and other officials watched in bewilderment as the fracas stumbled around the rotunda, with people trying desperately to pull them apart. They were yanking at Domitia, who was panting and crying out in ecstasy, while Mark groaned in relief and need, despite the people clawing at him and punching him. One enterprising and rather stout legionary knelt beside the fornicators and grabbed hold of them, straining to separate them. Domitia's yelps and Mark's moans became desperate grunts to hold one to one another for several seconds. Eventually, though, Domitia's legs gave out and she was dragged back from him. Mark roared in protest as he shivered and came a split-second after she had been pulled off him. His cock, now released from its warm, wet confines, smacked the legionary across his nose and spat ropes of cum in his eye and across his face. He wailed at the sting and fell on the floor, kicking in panic and trying to wipe the spume out of his eyes. Domitia was finally restrained, and her mouth gagged to stop her howling. She continued to struggle, but it was no use. At last she sagged, seemingly exhausted. Mark looked around, finally noticing Lord Flavius and Lady Pompeneia in the crowd, looking on in horror and mortification. He glanced up at Becky, but she was looking at the ceiling and covering her mouth, trying not to laugh. "This!" said the prosecutor angrily, jabbing his finger first toward Mark and then at Domitia. "This is what the accused has done to one of the sacred Virgins! Turned her into an uncontrollable harlot! She is so completely undone that she cannot think of anything except quenching the fire between her wanton loins!" Many women gasped or cried out at his unprecedented words, while men muttered to one another. Lady Pompeneia looked like she was ready to faint again. "This is an outrage!" Lord Flavius shouted furiously. "We gave our daughter to the state willingly, to fulfill her destiny as a priestess of the goddess, and now we see ourselves unfairly shamed! And this; this; slave; endangers the safety of us all, calling our favor with Vesta into question!" "Do you call charges against the Lady Horatia to ruin your good name?" asked the prosecutor coolly. "Oh, no, no, of course not," Lord Flavius said hastily, shaking his head and looking over at Lady Aurora. "She remains blameless in all of this, assuredly." Becky winked at Lord Flavius, and then subtly at the prosecutor, who smiled and winked back. "Jesus, Becks;” Mark muttered, scowling at the ground. "You've been around the pool more times than Katie Ledecky since we got here;” "Silence!" boomed the judge angrily, his face still rather purple from witnessing the lewd chaos wreaked in his court. "Centurion, strike that man if he won't show respect!" Mark grunted and staggered as the centurion standing close to him cuffed him across the ear. He stayed upright, but glowered at the man. "Wanna try that while my hands aren't cuffed, asshole?" "Silence!" roared the judge, turning purple again as other guards kept Mark from jumping on his assailant. "You are a creature of vile sin!" shouted Lord Flavius from the benches, pointing a trembling finger at Mark. "Yeah? Who cares?" Mark shot back, glaring at his host. "Your wife wasn't complaining yesterday when she rode my hog to the Promised Land, was she? No complaints from your daughter, either!" Lord Flavius howled in fury as he tried to rush the floor but was restrained. Lady Pompeneia fainted again. Another guard cuffed Mark on the back of the head, staggering him again, but this time he didn't have a snappy comeback. He looked angry, but his face had a tic suddenly. People were shouting and crying out in horror at the chaos the proceedings had become. "What manner of devil are you, boy?" the judge hissed at Mark. "Oh, I'm here to fuck every woman in Rome," Mark said sarcastically, tired of this bullshit. "I meant for a Vestal Virgin to be last, ya' know, sort of the proverbial cum icing on the titty cake. But the opportunity came up, and wham, bam, thank you, Vesta;” People shrieked in outrage, and Faustus pissed himself, staring at Mark in dumbfounded horror. "That's right, gents, line 'em up!" Mark said angrily, his face still twitching. Why was he saying these things? Was the chip in his head giving him Tourette's? He wiggled his erection before the entire room, since his tunic had got caught on it when he was separated from Domitia and it was still in plain view, glistening with her spittle and cunt juice. "Bring your uppity wives and daughters to me, I'll make 'em behave!" Faustus just threw his legal scrolls in the air and stormed off. Another legionary tried to punch Mark, but he dodged the punch and rammed his forehead into the man's nose, just avoiding his helmet. The man fell backwards, holding his face. Mark might have tried to kick him, but there were suddenly ten legionaries surrounding him, their swords pointed at his throat. Mark held very still, glowering. The judged barked for the legal scrolls he was meant to consult during this trial, but they were not to be found. He yelled for them again, and a young man barged in hastily from the back door to the rotunda, and the chamber beyond, carrying armfuls of scrolls. He dumped them on the judge's stone table and scurried off without another word. The judge made to pick up one of the documents, but paused; it was sticking to another scroll. He frowned and pulled them apart, noticing that a pearly residue was the source of the problem. Worse, the scroll pages became slippery as he tried to pry them apart. The sticky substance was all over them. And his fingers now. He quietly put the parchments down and shoved them aside. Once the judge had composed himself, clearly livid about the circus his courtroom had become, and once Mark was facing him again, he leaned in and asked a question. "Do you have anything to say before your sentence is pronounced?" "Don't you think this is enough of a sham that we should just get it over with?" Mark grumbled. "What?" the judge asked, confused. "I said, how about you get this show on the road, because thousands of my potential children have a date with your mom's face tonight!" Mark snapped, jerking slightly. What the absolute fuck was happening? He wasn't speaking Latin anymore, he was speaking Greek! "You mock us by speaking Greek?" demanded the judge, rising from his chair. "Do you seek to invalidate this court?" "This court is full of invalids already!" Mark raged, the chip inside his head sputtering. Apparently one of the blows to his head had made it misfire. "Get your mother out here already! And your daughter too!" The judge slumped back on his stone chair, as if stunned by what Mark was saying. Everyone in the court was silent, waiting to see what happened next. He turned to Domitia, who was restrained nearby. "Domitia, former daughter of the Flavian household

2.  #LONDINIUM90AD LIVE AT 6 PM ET SUNDAY: 8/31:  GAIUS & GERMANICUS DEBATE: The Federal Reserve: America's Vestal Virgins and the Emperor's Reach.    Gaius and Germanicus use the Roman Vestal Virgins as a metaphor for the American Federal Reserve, focusing on themes of trust, independence, and accountability to the "emperor" (the President). In Rome, Vestal Virgins were "contract keepers," embodying "trust" and "nonpartisanship," essential for the "Roman worthiness" of the state. They safeguarded the "eternal flame of Vesta, the goddess of the hearth," which symbolized the protection of Rome's identity and integrity. Initially, Vestal Virgins were independent of the Senate, with the Pontifex Maximus holding ultimate authority over them; upon becoming emperor, Augustus assumed this role, blurring the lines between religion and politics. The speakers portray the Federal Reserve as America's "Vestal Virgins," with the "almighty dollar" and the monetary system serving as the nation's "hearth". Gaius explains that the Federal Reserve was established in 1907 to address market failures, such as the one bailed out by JP Morgan. It only gained its "so-called independent" status through legislation in 1951, having been seen as a clear "function of the government" before then. Despite this perceived independence, they argue that the Federal Reserve is "not outside of the emperor and the emperor's reach". A recent "melodrama" involving a Federal Reserve board member (Cook) accused of misleading on mortgage applications, and the President's swift public response ("you're fired"), underscores the tension between the Fed's asserted independence and presidential authority. Germanicus clarifies that while the Fed's "independence" implies its decisions shouldn't be controlled "capriciously by the emperor," it remains "part of the state" and "under the purview of the emperor". Like the six Vestal Virgins, there are seven governors on the Federal Reserve, nominated for terms. The legitimacy and authority of such institutions, much like the Vestal Virgins, require a "superordinate authority" to ensure accountability. Germanicus critically views Jerome Powell's (the Federal Reserve chairman) consistent defiance of the President's desire for lower interest rates as "unwise" and possibly "personal," which he believes eroding public trust. He questions why Powell has not publicly addressed concerns about his leadership or a board member's alleged misconduct. The Federal Reserve Board, they point out, is not part of the "original constitutional system" laid out in America's founding documents, meaning its "independence" granted by 1951 legislation is not constitutionally embedded. The Federal Reserve, therefore, like the Vestal Virgins, remains "under the purview of the emperor". 1712 CAESAR #LONDINIUM90AD LIVE AT 6 PM ET EVERY SUNDAY: GAIUS & GERMANICUS DEBATE. FRIENDS OF HISTORY DEBATING SOCIETY. @MICHALIS_VLAHOS. PRODUCED BY CHRIS NOEL.

The overlooked Olympian who was the resolutely unmarried goddess of the hearth and home. In fact, Zeus awarded her a glorious gift for remaining unmarried, a tradition Natalie very much feels should be continued. In Hestia's Roman form of Vesta her Vestal Virgins guarded the sacred flame in her temple. Edith Hall thinks she's like Nigella, a domestic goddess, which may explain why references to her are hard to find, but that her importance both to men and women at the time cannot be overestimated. 'Rockstar mythologist' Natalie Haynes is the best-selling author of 'Divine Might', 'Stone Blind', and 'A Thousand Ships' as well as a reformed comedian who is a little bit obsessive about Ancient Greek and Rome.Edith Hall is Professor of Classics at Durham University, specialising in ancient Greek literature. She has written over thirty books and is a Fellow of the British Academy.Producer...Beth O'Dea

This luminous episode offers a gentle and profound conversation with Rachel Sarah Roberts, founder of Wolf Woman Rising. Wander through the sacred and hidden layers of Rome — from the She-wolf Lupa of the Palatine Hill to the flame keepers of the Vestal Virgins and the sacred waters threading the city — as Rachel guides us into Rome's unseen spiritual heartbeat, where myth, ritual, and feminine power converge.

What happened if a Vestal Virgin broke their pledge of virginity? How would a woman be chosen for the role? And were there any benefits to taking it?Kate is finding out in this episode with Peta Greenfield, co-author of ‘Your Cheeky Guide to the Roman Empire' and co-host of ‘The Partial Historians', with her colleague Dr Fiona Radford.This episode was edited by Tom Delargy and produced by Sophie Gee. The senior producer was Charlotte Long.Please vote for us for Listeners' Choice at the British Podcast Awards! Follow this link, and don't forget to confirm the email. Thank you!Sign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of original documentaries, with a new release every week and ad-free podcasts. Sign up at https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe.  You can take part in our listener survey here.All music from Epidemic Sounds.Betwixt the Sheets: History of Sex, Scandal & Society is a History Hit podcast.

Hi, everybody. Mike Atchison of Mike's Comic Shop Roadshow and Campus Comics Cast had so much fun on the show last week that he has returned to play guest cohost again. This week, Mike picked a trade paperback that has been on his "To Read" shelf for awhile to review with George. The book is the first four issue miniseries of Britannia by Peter Milligan, Juan Jose Ryp, Raul Allen, Jordie Bellaire, and Dave Sharpe published by Valiant in 2016. Ignore the power of the Vestal Virgins and the Wyrd Women at your own peril. Subscribe to Mike's Comic Shop Roadshow and Campus Comics Cast on your favorite podcast apps. Thank you for listening. Connect with Meanwhile At The Podcast on social media. Don't forget to #livetweet (we're still calling it that)! Share the show, subscribe so you don't miss an episode, and rate us on your podcast apps. Those much coveted five stars are always appreciated. Stay safe out there. NOW ON BLUESKY @MeanwhileATP https://x.com/meanwhileatp https://www.meanwhileatthepodcast.libsyn.com Rodney (AKA Art Nerrd): https://x.com/artnerrd https://www.instagram.com/theartnerrd/ https://facebook.com/artnerrd https://shop.spreadshirt.com/artnerrd Kristin: https://www.facebook.com/kristing616 https://www.instagram.com/kristing616 Rich: https://x.com/doctorstaypuft

"Outrageous!"-"Ridiculous!"-"Offensive!"-"Fabulous!"Well, enough about me. Let's talk about SLEEPWALKERS!Join me, Patrick Walsh, and my guest, everyone's favorite New York City-based undead horror host Unkle Spooky on a deranged deep dive into the delicious chaos that is STEPHEN KING'S SLEEPWALKERS, a film as taboo and flawed as it is wildly entertaining.Tanya and Charles are the perfect All-American high school couple about to go on their first date. Unfortunately for Tanya, Charles and his mother are unkillable incestuous shapeshifting werecats who feed on the souls of young virgins, and Tanya is next on their menu! Will Tanya fall prey to these kinky beasts? Or is there an adorable four-legged hero somewhere who knows the one thing that can stop this monstrous duo forever? Look, I know this movie is a hot mess, but I still love it, warts and all, because hiding under all the absurdity, there's true greatness just waiting for someone to find it.And that someone is ME.SLEEPWALKERS was directed by Mick Garris, written by Stephen King and stars Mädchen Amick, Brian Krause, Alice Krige and Ron Perlman.Links referenced in this episode:univozpods.netflyingfoxtavern.comicepalace.clubUnkle SpookyThis podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Podtrac - https://analytics.podtrac.com/privacy-policy-gdrp

PREVIEW: VESTAL VIRGINS: Emma Southon, author of "A Rome of One's Own," explains the cruelty in the superstitions of the Roman Republic to sacrifice a Vestal Virgin to answer an ill omen. More later. 1729 Rome

The Great Myth of the Sun GodsBy Alvin Boyd KhunIt may be that many of you have come to this lecture with the expectation of hearing about the superstitious beliefs of some ancient fire-worshippers or sun-worshippers. You may wonder why we should presume to waste an evening dilating upon the childish fancies of early peoples who could conceive of no more exalted form of deity in the universe than the physical body of our sun. Can there possibly be anything important in the study of such forms of crude fetishism?Let me disabuse your minds of any such prepossession at once. We have not invited you to hear of infantile nonsense of early child-humanity. On the contrary, it is our opinion that there is not a theme within the entire range of religious interest of such sublimity and authentic grandeur as this subject of the Sun-gods. We have come to the persuasion that this is the most important lecture that we have given or shall ever give. In it there is to be found the central thesis of all religion. We have asked you to hear an exposition of the cardinal principle of all true religion. Instead of dealing with an erratic notion of primitive barbarism, we have to present to you this evening the long-lost supreme datum of all high religion. And it is our design to show that religion in the world has drifted so far away from its original base that it no longer recognizes the very first and fundamental conception about which it was in the beginning constructed. The myth of the Sun-gods is the very heart's core of religion at its best.It is commonly supposed that religious honors were paid to the sun as a deity by a few isolated peoples or sects, such as the Parsees and the ancient Ghebers of Persia, and some African tribes. In correction of this view we are prepared to support the declaration that the worship of the Sun-god was quite universal in the ancient world. It ranged from China and India to Yucatan and Peru. The Emperor and the Mikado, as well as the Incas, and the Pharaohs were Sun-god figures. And is the belief only an empty myth? So far from being such, it is at once the highest embodiment of religious conception in the spiritual history of the race.Since the word "myth" occurs in the title, it is necessary to define it so that we may the better glimpse the nature of the subject. To the modern mind the word carries with it a derogatory implication. To reduce any construction to the status of a myth is to put it out of court and render it valueless. We regard a myth as a fiction and a falsity. To show that a theory or a belief is only a myth, is to relegate it to the world of non-reality, and dismiss it from further consideration as a thing of value.Not so with the ancients. With them (the ancients) a myth was a valuable instrumentality of knowledge. It was an intellectual, even a spiritual, tool, by the aid of which truth and wisdom could at one and the same time both be concealed from the unworthy and expressed for the worthy. The ancients rightly regarded spiritual truth and experience as being incapable of expression or impartation by means of words simply. A myth or an allegory could be made the better means of conveying subtly and with a certain added force, the truth veiled under a set form of dramatic presentation. The myth would enhance spiritual truth as a drama reinforces moral situations. It was all the more powerful in its message precisely because it was known not to be outwardly a true story. No one was caught by the literal falsity of the construction. Attention could therefore be given wholly to the hidden import, which was not obscured by the outward occurrence. The myth was known to be a fiction; therefore it deceived nobody--until the third century. But at the same time it was most ingeniously designed to instruct in the deepest of spiritual truths. It was a literary device to embalm lofty wisdom in the amber of a tradition that could be easily remembered, in the guise of a human story. It was truth incarnated in a dramatic occurrence, which was known to be untrue. Outwardly fictitious, but inwardly the substance of a mighty truth, was the myth. And as such it was the universal dress in which ancient knowledge was clothed.To indicate the universality of the Sun-god myth it is only necessary to enumerate some thirty of the chief figures known as Sun-gods amongst the nations about the Eastern Mediterranean, before the advent of Jesus. There were in Egypt, Osiris, Horus, Serapis, Hermes or Taht (Thoth), Khunsu, Atum (Aten, Adon, the Adonis or Phrygia), Iusa, Iu-sa, Iu-em-hetep; in Syria, Atis, Sabazius, Zagreus, Kybele (femine); in Assyria Tammuz; in Babylonia, Marduk and Sargon; in Persia, Mithra, Ahura-Mazda and the Zoroasters; in Greece, Orpheus, Bacchus (Dionysus), Achilles, Hercules, Theseus, Perseus, Jason, Prometheus; in India, Vyasa, Krishna, Buddha; in Tibet the Boddhisattvas; besides many others elsewhere.Likewise in the ancient Mystery dramas the central character was ever the Sun-god the role being enacted by the candidate for initiation in person. He went through the several initiations as himself the type and representative of the solar divinity in the field of human experience.Moreover, the Patriarchs, Prophets, Priests and Kings of Biblical lore are no less Sun-god figures. For in their several characteristics they are seen to be typical of the Christos.From the study of a mass of the ancient material the sincere and disingenuous student becomes ere long convinced of the fact that the Jesus figure of the Gospels, whether he lived historically or not (and there is much question of it even among theologians), is just another in the long list of the solar gods. They were figured by ancient poetic genius as embodiments of divine solar glory living among men, if they were not purely the mythical constructions of the allegorists.These Sun-god characters, of none of whom can it be said positively that they were living personages, were, it must be clearly noted, purely typical figures in the national epics of the several nations. They were symbols, one might say. But of what were they symbolical? That is the point of central importance. They were representative characters, summing and epitomizing in themselves the spiritual history of the human individual in his march across the field of evolving life on earth. They were the types and models of the divine potentiality pictured as coming to realization in their careers. They were the mirror held up to men, in which could be seen the possibilities locked up in man's own nature. They were type-figures, delineating the divine life that was an ever-possible realization for any devoted man. They were the symbols of an ever-coming deity, a deity that came not once historically in Judea, but that came to ever-fuller expression and liberation in the inner heart of every son of man. The solar deities were the gods that ever came, that were described as coming not once upon a time, but continuously and regularly. Their radiant divinity might be consummated by any earnest person at any time or achieved piecemeal.They were typed as ever-coming or coming regularly because they were symboled by the sun in its annual course around the zodiac of twelve signs, and the regular periodicity of this natural symbol typified the ever-continuing character of their spiritual sunlight. The ancients, in a way and to a degree almost incomprehensible to the unstudied modern, had made of the sun's annual course round the heavens a faithful reproduction of the spiritual history of the divine spirit in man. The god in us was emblemed by the sun in its course, and the sun's varied experiences, as fabulously construed, were a reflection of our own incarnational history. The sun in its movements through the signs was made the mirror of our life in spirit. To follow the yearly round of the zodiac was to epitomize graphically the whole history of human experience. Thus the inner meaning of our mortal life was endlessly repeated in the daily, weekly, monthly and yearly cycle of the sun's passage, the seven or twelve divisions of which marked the seven- or twelvefold segmentation of our spiritual history or our initiations. (They were figured at first as seven, later as twelve, when the solar gods came upon the cosmic scene.)The careers of these solar gods, then, were a type of what is occurring to every man who is dowered with the spark of divine soul within his breast. Each one of us has had or will have his festival of conception in June, his birth into the world of fleshly life in the autumn, his spiritual awakening at Christmas, and his glorious resurrection from the dead body of this life at Easter.The Christians say the Christos came once in a single character in history, Jesus of Judea, saying nothing about his coming to Everyman at all times. They present to the world the Only-Begotten Son of the Father, confusing in one historical figure two distinct characters of ancient philosophy, the Logos and the Christos, and making both historical in a human being born of woman. Suffice it to say that neither character was historical in the ancient systems. The Logos and the Christos were cosmic forces, and the erring Christians confounded these "personages" of ancient philosophy with the mundane career of the man Jesus, who was not other than one of the mythical Sun-god heroes, or national type-figures. What a travesty of truth the Christian representation has become! What a caricature the Gospels have made of the divine spiritual principle in man's life!The ancients had no "only-begotten" son because the term used in their systems, miserably mistranslated "only-begotten," was something with quite a different connotation. It was in Greek "monogenes," and in Latin "unigenitus," and was far from meaning "only-begotten." It meant that which was begotten of one parent, the father, alone, not the offspring of the union of father and mother. By the term the ancients meant to designate him who was the projection into matter of the spirit forces of life, not the final product of the union of spirit and matter, or the male and female elements. Had the early Christian Fathers known of the inner meaning of the symbolism of the Egyptian Ptah, as Khepr-Ra, who was typed by the male beetle that incubated in the ground and without union with the female transformed and regenerated himself after twenty-eight days (exactly a moon cycle) in the form of the young scarab, symbol of the new-born sun in the moon, they would have been intelligent enough to have avoided the great schisms that divided the Church into Roman and Greek Catholic bodies over the abstrusities of this very origin of the persons of the Trinity. But Egypt was farther away from Rome of the third century than it is from us, who can now read the inscriptions that were sealed from them.All this ancient scriptural data accentuates the fact that not the historical Jesus, but the spiritual Christ, or the god within the individual heart (as expounded in the lecture on Platonic Philosophy in the Bible) is the subject of the sacred writings of old, and the kernel of the whole religious ideology. Angelus Silesius has expressed this in a stanza which should be a perpetual reminder of the futility of clinging to the historical interpretation of Gospel literature.Though Christ a thousand times in Bethlehem be born, But not within thyself, thy soul will be forlorn; The cross on Golgotha thou lookest to in vain, Unless within thyself it be set up again. And the Christian hymn, "O Jesus, thou art standing, outside the fast-closed door," gives expression to the kindred idea that while we look across the map to localize the Christos in Judea, we keep the spiritual mentor of our own lives standing without, seeking an entrance into our lives in vain.By the aid of archaic sacred books we have been enabled to trace authentically the origin of the name Jesus. And it is of great importance to present this material, because it throws a flood of clear light upon the ancient conceptions of the Messiah and the coming Son, or Sun-god. In this light the name will be seen to be a type-designation and not the personal name of an historical being.It is derived from the two letters (or numbers) which in the beginning of typology symbolized the two first elements, spirit and matter, into which the primal One Life bifurcated. They are the I (or 1) symboling the male or spirit, and the O (letter) or 0 (cipher) symboling the female or material universe. Together they represented the biune male-female deity. We have, then, the letters IO, or the number 10. As the vowels were freely interchanged, in ancient languages, the name was written either IO, IA, IE , or IU, and all these forms are found. Next the I transformed into consonantal value and became a J (as it is yet in Latin), so that we find the names JO, JA, JE and JU, from each of which many names have arisen. When the creation had combined the male and female and the two had given birth to the Son, or Logoic universe, the name was given the form of three letters, and we then find such forms as IAO, JAH, IEO, JEU, ZUE. When the universe became founded on the four cardinal points or the square of four dimensions, the name was spelled variously as IEOU, JOVE, ZEUS, JEVE, DIOS, T/HEOS, HUHI, IHUH and others. In its character as a sevenfold or seven-lettered name, it took the form of JEHOVAH, SABAOTH, DEBORAH, DELILAH, SEP/HIROT/H, MICHAEL, SOLOMON, and others of seven letters. The I permuted with l (el) or 1 (one), so that IE became LE or, inverted EL, the great Hebrew character of deity. The EL and the IAH (JAH), became the most frequent determinatives of divinity, as a host of names will testify. There are Bethel, Emanuel, Michael, Israel, Gabriel, Samuel, Abdiel, Uriel, Muriel Azazel, and many others, in which the EL is prefixed. The JAH is seen in such names as EliJAH, AbiJAH, while the IAH comes in a host of such names as Nehemiah, Jeremiah, Obediah, Hezekiah, Isaiah, Messiah, Alleluiah and more.But whence comes the "s" in Jesus's name? This is of great importance. It is derived from an Egyptian suffix written either SA, SE, SI, SU, or SAF, SEF, SIF or SUF (SAPH, SEPH, SIPH or SUPH) and meaning "the son," "heir," "prince" or successor to the father. (The F is an Egyptian ending for the masculine singular.) When the original symbol of divinity, IO or IE, JO or JE, was combined with the Egyptian suffix for the succeeding heir, SU or SA, the resultant was the name IUSA, IUSE, IUSU, or IOSE; or IESU, JESU, IUSEF, IOSEF, JOSEF. One of the many forms was JESU and another was JOSEF. The final F became sibilant at times and gave us the eventual form of JESUS. The name then meant the "divine son," and combined in the Egyptian IU the idea of the coming one. Hence JESUS was the Messiah, the coming son of the divine life. There was in Egypt for ten thousand years B.C. the character of this functionary under the name of IUSA. Later he was the Iu-em-hetep, which means "the divine son who comes with peace (hetep). But most interestingly, this last word also means seven. Hence Jesus is he who comes as the seventh principle to complete the six elementary powers of natural evolution with the gift of divine intelligence, which supplants the elementary chaos with the rulership of love and intelligence and thus brings peace into a warring situation. Hence finally, Jesus is the seventh cosmic principle, announced in all religious lore as he who comes to bring peace and good will to men. And as such he was announced in the Christian Gospels. But there was more than one Jesus or IUSA or IU before the coming of the alleged historical Jesus.Startling as are the implications of this bit of etymology, a far more amazing denouement of Bible study is the revelation that not only were there over thirty Sun-god figures in the cults of the various nations of old, but there are immediately in the Bible itself, in the Old Testament, some twenty more Sun-god characters under the very name of Jesus! Are we speaking arrant nonsense or sober truth when we make a claim which seems at first sight so unsupportable? Twenty Jesus characters in the Old Testament! Let us see. We have noted the many variant forms of the Jesus name. There are still others in the Old Testament, never suspected as being related to the name of the Christian Redeemer. There are Isaac, Esau, Jesse, Jacob, Jeshu, Joachim, Joshua, Jonah and others. All these are variant forms of the one name, which has still other forms among the Hebrews in secular life, Yusuf, Yehoshua, Yeshu, etc. Joshua, Hosea and Jesse are from this name indisputably. A few might be the subject of controversy.Furthermore, beside these that bear the original divine name, there are other Sun-god figures in the Old Testament under a wide variety of names. They are Samson (whose name means "solar"), David, Solomon, Saul (equals soul, or sol, the sun--Latin.), Abraham, Moses, Gideon, Jephtha and the like. Their actions identify them as solar representatives.Now let us see what the conception of our divinity as a Sun-god in reality meant to the sages of old, and what it should mean to us. It meant that the divinity within us, our divine soul or Self, was itself the Sun-god, or solar deity. And what does this signify in concrete terms for us? Just this; that the god within us is constituted of the imperishable essence of solar light and energy! In short, we ourselves, in our higher nature, are solar gods in potentiality! Our highest nature is an incorruptible body composed of the glorious essence of the sun's energy! The gods in the Bible were always symboled by the light or fire of the sun. We are now enlightened to see it as a description of our nature as veritable truth and fact. We are Sun-gods. Our immortal spirits within us are composed of the radiant substance of solar energy.At the very time we were first assembling the material for this lecture, there came an announcement in the daily press of a discovery by a modern physicist, Dr. George W. Crile, of the Cleveland Laboratories, which practically fixed the seal of truth upon every word we have uttered or shall utter in this lecture. It was most startlingly corroborative of our exegesis. He announced that he had discovered at the heart of every living organism a tiny nucleus of energy, all aglow, with temperatures ranging from 3000 to 6000 degrees of heat, which he called "radiogens" or "hot points." These, he said, were precisely akin to the radiant energy of solar matter. He affirmed, in short, that a tiny particle of the sun's power and radiance was lodged within the heart of every organic unit! The light and energy that has life. What would be Crile's surprise, however, if he were to be shown a sentence taken from Hargrave Jennings' old book on the Rosicrucians, written over sixty years ago: "Every man has a little spark (sun) in his own bosom?" For this was one item in the teaching of the Medieval Fire-Philosophers, and the reason they were styled such. They knew what Crile has discovered, as likewise did the ancient Bible-writers. They based their Sun-god religions upon it. Our souls are composed of the imperishable essence of solar light! We are immortal because we are Sun-gods.But many will impatiently rise to expostulate with us, and ask why, if this was the universal fundamentum of the old religions, the Bible itself does not categorically carry this message and state this central fact. Wait a moment! Who that knows this primary datum has searched the Bible to see if it has nothing to say on the point? We, too, believed the Bible was remiss in expressing this conception, until we searched with a more watchful eye. And now let us hear what the Bible says as to our solar constitution, and determine for ourselves whether it is silent on the groundwork of religion or not. Let us hear first the Psalms. "Our God is a living fire," say they; and "Our God is a consuming fire." "The Lord God is a sun," avers the same book. "I am come to send fire on earth," says Jesus, meaning he came to scatter the separated sparks of solar essence amongst mankind, a spark to each soul. In Revelation the angels scatter the fire and the incense of their seven censers over the earth, among the inhabitants. Then says John the Baptist: "I indeed baptize you with water, but he that cometh after me will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire!" Jesus says: "I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven." (Satan was the descending Lucifer, or Light-bringer, before he was lifted up and divinized.) The fire that falls on Jeremiah's altar and many another in the Bible narrative types the deity coming to dwell with mortals. Says Jesus: "When I am in the world I am the light of the world." Again he said: "Ye are the light of the world," and "Let your light so shine that others may . . . glory your father which is in heaven." The Lord, say the Psalms, "made his angels messengers and his ministers a flame of fire." The New Testament Jesus, following the well-known Egyptian diagram of the Ankh, the solar disk with the spread wings, is described as "the sun of righteousness, risen with healing in his wings." John has Jesus saying that the condemnation of the world lay in that it rejected the light when it was sent into the world. Says Job: "Yea, the light of the wicked shall be put out, and the spark of his fire shall not shine. The light shall be dark in his tabernacle and his candle shall be put out with him." Isaiah writes: "Behold all ye that kindle a fire, that compass yourselves about with sparks; walk in the light of your fire and in the sparks that ye have kindled." We are adjured to "Rise, shine, for thy light is come." "The Lord is my light," reiterates the Psalms. And again: "In thy light shall we see light." "Light is sown for the righteous." "We wait for light," cry the souls in the darkness of incarnation, far from their original fount of light. John declares that the Christos "was the true light" which was to come Messianically for the redemption of our lower nature. And again he declares that with the Christos "light is come into the world." No cry echoes with more resounding intensity down to this age than Paul's exhortation to our souls buried in lethal darkness: "Awake, thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ will shine upon thee!" And in Revelation there are those mighty pronouncements: in the spiritual resurrection "there shall be no more need of the sun to shine by day nor the moon by night, for the glory of the Lord did lighten it." And there is no more heartening assurance anywhere in the Bible than Jesus's statement: "Ye have light in yourselves."And these are only a gleaning from the great score of similar passages with which the Bible teems. And still folks will say they find no warrant for the Sun-god idea in the Bible!In Rome the sacred fire in the temple of Vesta was guarded by seven Vestal Virgins, chosen for purity and for psychic vision. If they permitted the fire to die out (symbolic of the light of deity dying out in the heart) the penalty upon them was death. If they violated their sexual purity, they were buried alive in the city. And from the great old Egyptian Book of the Dead we take just one passage among scores: "Lo, I come from the Lake of Flame, from the Lake of Fire, and from the field of flame, and I live." And again, from an old Book of Adam and Eve we quote a great passage in which the Lord says: "I made thee of the light, and I wished to bring out children of the light from thee." If only we had been taught by our religious teachers that our spiritual natures are woven and fabricated of solar light, we should have had a clearer apprehension of our potentialities for divine education.Supplementing all this material from the Bible and ancient scriptures, there is at hand for our supreme enlightenment one grand pronouncement from Greek Platonic philosophy which we conceive to be that lost ultimate link between science and religion. It is the truth before whose altar both science and religion can kneel at last and find themselves paying tribute to the same god,--the god of solar radiance. It is a sentence from the learned Proclus, last of the Great Platonists: "The light of the sun is the pure energy of intellect." Are we big enough to catch the mighty significance of that statement? Is it not the essence of what the modern physicist means when he talks of "mind-stuff?" The fiery radiance of the sun is already the motivating genius of intellect! Matter is itself intelligent and intelligence! Here is the basic link between all naturalism and all spirituality. Matter enshrouds and contains the soul of mind and spirit. The light of the sun is the deific flash of intellect! And the very core of our conscious being is a spark of that infinite indestructible energy of solar light. There is the "seminal soul of light" or the seed of fiery divinity (Prometheus's "fire" stolen from the gods) in each of us. It makes us a god.Armed with this unquenchable fire which is intellect, we are sent on earth to inhabit a body which is described as a watery and miry swamp. The body is nearly eighty per cent. water! It is the duty of the fiery spark to enlighten the whole dark realm of mortal life, to transmute by its alchemical power the baser dross of animal propensity into the finer motivation of love and brotherhood. This life is a purgation--Purgatory--because it is a process of burning and tempering crude animal elements into the pure gold of spiritual light. In Egyptian scriptures the twelve sons of Ra (the twelve sons of Jacob, and the twelve tribes of Israel) were called the "twelve saviors of the treasure of light." An Egyptian text reads: "This is the sun within us, the seminal source of light. Do not dim its luster or cause it to suffer eclipse." And another runs: "Give ye glory as to the sun; he is the chief, the only one coming from the body, the head of those who belong to the race of the sun."With this force of fire we must uplift the lower man and transmute his nature into the spiritual glow of love and intelligence. With it we must turn the water of the lower nature into the wine of spiritual force. Around it we must aggregate the refined material which we shall build into that temple of the soul, that body of the resurrection, the great garment of solar light, in which we shall rise out of the tomb of the physical corpus and ascend with the angels. This is the radiant Augoeides of the Greeks, the Sahu of the Egyptians, in which the soul wings its flight aloft like the phoenix, after rending the veil of the temple of the body. It is our garment of immortality, the seamless robe of glory, in prospect of which we groan and travail, says St. Paul, as we earnestly desire to be clothed upon with the garment of incorruption. As flesh and blood can not inherit the kingdom of heaven, we must fashion for our tenancy there this body of solar glory, in whose self-generated light we may live eternally, having overcome the realms of darkness, or spiritualized the body. Jesus prays the Father to grant unto him that glory that he had with him before the world was, and his prayer is fulfilled in the formation of the spirit body out of the elements of the sun.Who is this King of Glory?--says the Psalmist. And we are exhorted to lift up the aeonial gates, the age-lasting doors, to let the King of Glory enter into our realm. The King of Glory is the Sun-soul within us, raised in his final perfection in the fulness of Christly stature to the state of magnificent effulgence. The King of Glory is the immortal Sun-god, the deity in our hearts; and when at last he blazes forth in the heyday of his glory, and comes in majesty into our lives, then we behold his glory, as of the alone-begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth. And when he appears to those still sitting in the shadow of darkness, they report that "they have seen a great light, and to those that sat in the valley of darkness did the light shine." And this light, seen ever and anon by some illuminated son of man, as he gropes in the murks of incarnation, is truly "that light that lighteth every man that cometh into the world."And when that light shineth clearer and brighter unto the perfect day, then, indeed, we know of a surety that we ourselves are nucleated of that same glorious essence of combined intellect and spirit. Then we know that we ourselves are the Sun-gods, and that the ancient allegory is not a "myth," but the very essence of our own Selfhood.The Great Myth of the Sun GodsBy Alvin Boyd Khunhttp://mountainman.com.au/ab_kuhn.html This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit dwtruthwarrior.substack.com/subscribe

Preview: Roman women: Conversation with the classicist Emily South, author of A Rome of One's Own, re: The myths and facts of wives and daughters from the Kingdom to the Christian rise. Here Emily describes how Vestal Virgins were sacrificed when bad news arrived. More later. 1838 ABDICATION OF SULLA

This is the second part of the lore from Season 9, Episode 8 "A Rock and a Hard Place" about Vesta and the Vestal Virgins. The full lore is also available on our YouTube Channel. Research LinksWildfang, Robin Lorsch. Rome's Vestal Virgins: A Study of Rome's Vestal Priestesses in the Late Republic and Early Empire. Routledge, 2006.Vestal Virgins ClothingThe Vestal Virgins - The Ancient Romans:History and Society from the Early Republic to the Death of AugustusTrial of the Vestal Virgins.” Trial of the Vestal Virgins (114–113 BC) Rhea Silvia - Glorious Women Who Shaped Roman History EP1October Horse - WikipediaThe Legend of Romulus - World History EncyclopediaHow Were Vestal Virgins Chosen?Fordicidia - WikipediaVestal Virgins - The BAS LibraryRe-creating the hairstyle of the ancient Roman Vestal VirginsVesta – MythopediaClodia Laeta - WikipediaElagabalus - WikipediaCassius Dio — Epitome of Book 78Janet Stephens - YouTubeThis podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Chartable - https://chartable.com/privacy

Was Season 9, Episode 9's title "Between a Rock and a Hard Place" a pun that I just now got? Anyhow we talk about that, and the Vestal Virgins. Research LinksAulus Gellius, Attic Nights John C. Rolfe, Ed.Online Companion to Worlds of Roman Women: ChildhoodThe Vestal Virgins - The Ancient Romans:History and Society from the Early Republic to the Death of AugustusRome's Vestal Virgins 1st Edition, Kindle EditionVestal Virgin Tuccia (Corradini sculpture) - WikipediaHow Were Vestal Virgins Chosen?The Sexual Status of Vestal Virgins on JSTORVesta (mythology) - WikipediaRomulus - WikipediaVesta – MythopediaThe Vestal Virgins - The Ancient Romans:History and Society from the Early Republic to the Death of AugustusVestal Virgins ClothingStola - WikipediaThis podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Chartable - https://chartable.com/privacy

The tourist at the 2000-year-old home of the Vestal Virgins in Pompeii who was arrested after carving his family's initials in one of the walls!

On today's episode of the Occult Symbolism and Pop Culture with Isaac Weishaupt podcast we head back to the Grey Lodge in this bonus Twin Peaks episode! This episode we're covering the Twin Peaks film "Fire Walk With Me!" This movie is truly a “Talisman that came to life” and we'll decode the whole thing today! This films sets us up to understand Season 3 and the larger themes at play here of apocalyptic occult battles between good and evil! Symbolism discussed includes Lil as Lilith, Luciferian Blue Roses, Deer Meadow as the Twin Peaks shadow, garmonbozia, "Power and the Glory" connections to Lord's Prayer and Kabbalah, passage of the Moon Goddess, sacrifice of the Vestal Virgins at Capitoline Hill, and lots of references to S1 and S2 that will make much more sense! ...and stick around- because we'll ALSO decode The Missing Pieces lost footage! LET'S ROCK!*PLOT SPOILERS FOR SEASON 1, SEASON 2, AND LAURA PALMER'S SECRET DIARY!!!! Trigger warning: there are scenes of sexual abuse. Explicit language is also used.See images discussed on Isaac's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/isaacweishaupt/WANT MORE TWIN PEAKS ANALYSIS?... We're decoding the ENTIRE universe of Twin Peaks on the supporter feeds! Index of Twin Peaks Grey Lodge series: https://illuminatiwatcher.com/twin-peaks-occult-symbolism-guide-enter-the-grey-lodge/Show sponsors- Get discounts while you support the show and do a little self improvement!*CopyMyCrypto.com/Isaac is where you can copy James McMahon's crypto holdings- listeners get access for just $1WANT MORE?... Check out my UNCENSORED show with my wife, Breaking Social Norms: https://breakingsocialnorms.com/GRIFTER ALLEY- get bonus content AND go commercial free + other perks:*PATREON.com/IlluminatiWatcher : ad free, HUNDREDS of bonus shows, early access AND TWO OF MY BOOKS! (The Dark Path and Kubrick's Code); you can join the conversations with hundreds of other show supporters here: Patreon.com/IlluminatiWatcher (*Patreon is also NOW enabled to connect with Spotify! https://rb.gy/hcq13)*VIP SECTION: Due to the threat of censorship, I set up a Patreon-type system through MY OWN website! IIt's even setup the same: FREE ebooks, Kubrick's Code video! Sign up at: https://illuminatiwatcher.com/members-section/*APPLE PREMIUM: If you're on the Apple Podcasts app- just click the Premium button and you're in! NO more ads, Early Access, EVERY BONUS EPISODE More from Isaac- links and special offers:*BREAKING SOCIAL NORMS podcast, Index of EVERY episode (back to 2014), Signed paperbacks, shirts, & other merch, Substack, YouTube links & more: https://allmylinks.com/isaacw *STATEMENT: This show is full of Isaac's useless opinions and presented for entertainment purposes. Audio clips used in Fair Use and taken from YouTube videos.

Viewer discretion is advised in this episode today as we're making references too human sacrifice, SA and unaliving Were human sacrifices made in the Greco-Roman world to the gods? Today we're looking at a myth of Hades and Persephone and a real life account of the Vestal Virgins to Vesta. MASSIVE Patreon News and Updates: (0:00-7:46) Aphrodite Restock: (7:46-9:24) Styx and Bones Lore?: (9:24-13:41) Disclaimer for Todays Episode: (13:41-16:20) Pietas with the Gods: (16:20-29:21) Myth of Sacrifice to Hades and Persephone: (29:21-37:43) Human Sacrifice and the Vestal Virgins: (37:43-51:46) Modernizing Pietas and Final Thoughts: (53:00-1:02:08) STYX AND BONES TEMPLE Shop our products: https://tinyurl.com/tzxrnzh2 Book a service: https://tinyurl.com/2dyz7su8 FOLLOW STYX AND BONES ON SOCIAL MEDIA https://www.instagram.com/styxandbonespodcast https://www.instagram.com/styxandbonestemple https://www.tiktok.com/@styxandbonestemple FOLLOW HIGH PRIESTESS CHELSEA https://www.instagram.com/chelseaghostwhisperer/ https://www.tiktok.com/@chelseaghostwhisperer FOLLOW DR. K https://www.instagram.com/dirtdiaries_ https://www.tiktok.com/@dirtdiaries_ --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/styx-and-bones-podcast/support

Rome wasn't built in a day, and neither was its wild and wacky religious tradition! In this episode of History for Weirdos, we're ditching the gladiators and emperors for a deep dive into the enigmatic world of the Vestal Virgins. These weren't your average Roman ladies – they were powerful priestesses who wielded immense influence, guarded sacred flames, and swore a 30-year vow of chastity. But don't let the "virgin" title fool you; their lives were far from chaste and quiet. Join your favorite weirdo historians, Stephanie and Andrew, as they unravel the secrets of these influential women. We're talking supernatural powers, political intrigue, scandalous rumors, and the ultimate price paid for breaking their sacred vows. Brace yourselves for a wild ride through ancient Rome's spiritual underbelly. - Thank you for listening Weirdos! Show the podcast some love by rating & subscribing on whichever platform you use to listen to podcasts. Your support means so much to us. Let's stay in touch

One of the most important gods in the Roman pantheon was the goddess Vesta.  Vesta was the goddess of the hearth and home, and her temple was one of the most important in ancient Rome. It was attended by six women who were some of the most important in all of Roman society. They were given privileges that few in Rome were allowed, but it also came at a very steep price. Learn more about the Vestal Virgins, the cult of Vesta, and its role in Roman society on this episode of Everything Everywhere Daily. Sponsors Available nationally, look for a bottle of Heaven Hill Bottled-in-Bond at your local store. Find out more at heavenhilldistillery.com/hh-bottled-in-bond.php Sign up today at butcherbox.com/daily and use code daily to choose your free offer and get $20 off. Visit BetterHelp.com/everywhere today to get 10% off your first month. Use the code EverythingEverywhere for a 20% discount on a subscription at Newspapers.com. Subscribe to the podcast!  https://link.chtbl.com/EverythingEverywhere?sid=ShowNotes -------------------------------- Executive Producer: Charles Daniel Associate Producers: Benji Long & Cameron Kieffer   Become a supporter on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/everythingeverywhere Update your podcast app at newpodcastapps.com Discord Server: https://discord.gg/UkRUJFh Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/everythingeverywhere/ Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/everythingeverywheredaily Twitter: https://twitter.com/everywheretrip Website: https://everything-everywhere.com/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

D'Arcy gets personal and discusses her Shotgun Wedding co-star, Lenny Kravitz with Paul F. Tompkins, Drew Tarver, and Heléne Yorke! How does he connect to the Vestal Virgins of ancient Rome? Listen to find out!Wikipedia and its trademarks are used with permission from the Wikimedia Foundation, the nonprofit that supports Wikipedia. The views expressed in WikiHole belong to SmartLess Media and are not endorsed or affiliated with Wikipedia.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Though we are taught to think of women and feminine energy as 'secondary' or 'less than', Eris and Vesta remind us of their key role in protecting the planet. At one point a celebrated part of society for this role, women and our spiritual power have remained important yet been rendered invisible. This has created an imbalance. As we move into the Age of Aquarius, our contributions are being brought into focus. This podcast is a conversation about the spiritual orders of women who have united to protect the human energy spectrum. Starting off with a conversation of Creation and a reminder of our connection to Mother and Father of this Universe, I bring us to a moment in the human story when women and our contributions came under fire. The crucifixion. Before that moment, women and our role were well known and appreciated, as is exemplified in the Vestal virgins. Since the moment where Creator was betrayed through the acts done to Christ, women have endured a different kind of treatment We have carried a big load this last thousand years and it is important that we a) express that we have done it, b) heal from the experiences we endured doing it and c) complete our sacred tasks. This podcast is a celebration, some information, and encouragement for those on this path. Featuring my favourite teacher Mary Magdalene, the Vestal Virgins, and the contemporary feminine flame holders (Eris), this one is dedicated to Venus. To attend the 'Healing Venus' energy alignment + Sacred Connection experience: ⁠https://indicrowacademy.learnworlds.com/course/healing-the-feminine-energy-alignment-and-information-session⁠ To get an invitation to the working session, email me at katieindicrow@gmail.com (I do it this way to keep us safe). --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/katie-indicrow/message

How sexually depraved were the Romans?Whilst they were a civlised, stoic and innovative bunch, they were also a promiscuous bunch with very questionable morals.Joining us today is friend of the show Emma Southon, author of A History of the Roman Empire in 21 Women.How did the Romans view incest? What fate awaited the Vestal Virgins? And what went on at the debauched festivals of Bacchus? Let's find out.This podcast was edited and produced by Stuart Beckwith. The senior producer was Charlotte Long.Don't miss out on the best offer in history! Enjoy unlimited access to award-winning original documentaries that are released weekly and AD-FREE podcasts.Get a subscription for £1 for 3 months with code BETWIXTTHESHEETS1 sign up now for your 14-day free trial https://historyhit/subscription/

Chrissie tells you about the priestesses of Vesta, Rome's only women-only priesthood. Read the essay here: https://historywiththeszilagyis.org/hwts226 Find us on Twitter:The Network: @BQNPodcastsThe Show: @HistorySzilagyi.Chrissie: @TheGoddessLivia. Jason: @JasonDarkElf.Send topic suggestions via Twitter or on our Facebook page History with the Szilagyis.History with the Szilagyis is supported by our patrons: PatiSusan Capuzzi-De ClerckLaura DullKris HillVince LockeJoin these wonderful supporters by visiting patreon.com/historywiththeszilagyis. The BQN Podcast Collective is brought to you by our listeners. Special thanks to these patrons on Patreon whose generous contributions help to produce this podcast and the many others on our network! Jason AndersonVera BibleSusan Capuzzi-De ClerckTim CooperChrissie De Clerck-SzilagyiLars Di ScenzaThad HaitMatt HarkerPeter HongJim McMahonJoe MignoneGreg MolumbyMahendran RadhakrishnanTom Van ScotterDavid WillettCarl WondersAnonymousDavidYou can join this illustrious list by becoming a patron here: https://www.patreon.com/BQN

The film opens during Caesar's invasions of Britain, with Mark Antony (Sid James) struggling to lead his armies through miserable weather. At a nearby village, cavemen Horsa (Jim Dale) and Hengist Pod (Kenneth Connor) attempt to alert Boudica to the invasion, but are captured by the Romans. Once in Rome, Horsa is sold by the slave-trading firm Marcus et Spencius, and Hengist is destined to be thrown to the lions when no-one agrees to buy him. Horsa and Hengist escape and take refuge in the Temple of Vesta. Whilst hiding there, Julius Caesar (Kenneth Williams) arrives to consult the Vestal Virgins, but an attempt is made on his life by his bodyguard, Bilius (David Davenport). In the melee, Horsa kills Bilius and escapes, leaving Hengist to take the credit for saving Caesar's life and to be made Caesar's new bodyguard. When a power struggle emerges in Egypt, Mark Antony is sent to force Cleopatra (Amanda Barrie) to abdicate in favour of Ptolemy. However, Mark Antony becomes besotted with her, and instead kills Ptolemy off-screen to win her favour. Cleopatra convinces Mark Antony to kill Caesar and become ruler of Rome himself so that they may rule a powerful Roman-Egyptian alliance together. After seducing one another, Mark Antony agrees, and plots to kill Caesar. Caesar and Hengist travel to Egypt on a galley, along with Agrippa (Francis de Wolff), whom Mark Antony has convinced to kill Caesar. However, Horsa has been re-captured and is now a slave on Caesar's galley. After killing the galley-master (Peter Gilmore), Horsa and the galley slaves kill Agrippa and his fellow assassins and swim to Egypt. Hengist, who had been sent out to fight Agrippa and was unaware of Horsa's presence on board, again takes the credit. Once at Cleopatra's palace, an Egyptian soothsayer (Jon Pertwee) warns Caesar of the plot to kill him, but Mark Anthony convinces Caesar not to flee. Instead, Caesar convinces Hengist to change places with him, since Cleopatra and Caesar have never met. On meeting, Cleopatra lures Hengist, who accidentally exposes both Cleopatra and Mark Anthony as would-be assassins. He and Caesar then ally with Horsa, and after defeating Cleopatra's bodyguard Sosages (Tom Clegg) in combat, Hengist and the party flee Egypt. Caesar is returned to Rome, only to be assassinated on the Ides of March. Horsa and Hengist return to Britain, and Mark Antony is left in Egypt to live "one long Saturday night" with Cleopatra.

Full Show Notes for Camillus - Noble Roman DictatorGreek Parallel - ThemistoclesNo Extant Parallel Essay - :(Important PeopleBrennus - Gallic chieftan, unscrupulous and forceful, but without much character development as Plutarch did for other villains (see, for example, Alexander of Pherae's character development in the Life of Pelopidas or Dionysius II's tyrannical character as developed in the Life of Dion). The Common (Ro)Man - Whether volunteering to give your wagon to Vestal Virgins or to take a risky message across enemy lines and back again, the common Romans do a great deal in this life. This creates a great parallel with the Life of Publicola, whose life features the brave deeds of so many Romans other than himself.Important PlacesArdea - Camillus's chosen spot of exileRome - What's in a city? When it's all been burned to the ground, should the Romans rebuild or colonize elsewhere?Allia - Battle v. The GaulsSutrium - An ally of Rome which the Tuscans besiege calling for unprecedented tactics on the part of the Romans.Key Virtues and Vicesφρόνησις - practical judgment - Not quite prudence, but the lower element of it that chooses the means most appropriate to the ends. His parallel, Themistocles, had this in spades, but Camillus is no slouch at planning and tactics, both political and military. Moderation - μετριότης (cf. 11 for lack of it in grieving)Boldness of Speech - παρρησία - This one often is on a knife's edge between vice and virtue. This is the same key word that Luke uses in Acts of the Apostles when describing the boldness with which the apostles preached about Jesus. Plutarch, writing after Luke and with no knowledge of the man, already recognizes  the long Greek history behind this word. Hatred - ἀπεχθεία - You will accrue allies, but you will also accrue enemies in doing worthy political work. Gentleness - ἥμερος (cf. 11) - Here one almost wishes his parallel were Pericles, though he is *not* as gentle as Pericles, so again Plutarch chose well in that parallel too (see next month for the Life of Fabius!)Kindliness - χρηστός (cf. 11) - Has at its root usefulness, and was a key virtue in the life of that obscure Greek, Pelopidas. Avoidance of Conflict - On several occasions Camillus seems to choose to do the easier thing, rather than having the difficult conversation or confrontation necessary to ensure the right action is taken.Justice - δικαιοσύνη - More important even than victory, Camillus's conscientious application of the law even to his enemies in war wins him admiration and trust on both sides of a conflict.Support the show

Emma Southon is a podcaster and ancient historian. Her new book A History of the Roman Empire in 21 Women does exactly what it says on the tin: sidestepping the sidesteps of the long list of battles, consuls and generals that normally passes for the grand narrative of Rome to focus on the lives of women - including Vestal Virgins, sex workers, empresses, poets, and saints. She turns our preconceptions about the Roman world on its head to reveal a new story of the ancient world where ordinary individual lives take centre stage. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome back to another episode on Styx and Bones with your ghost hosts Chelsea and Tenn!! In this episode we're talking all things about being a High Priestess in both the modern and ancient times. Chelsea is sharing her journey into becoming a High Priestess for King Hades while Tenn shares how it was done - taking a case study from looking at the Vestal Virgins. Your ghost hosts then talk about a question we have been avoiding like the plague itself... miasma in the practice and how it gets misinterpreted within spiritual communities. Join us as we chat about how we modernize our own hellenic practice, answers some listener Q+A and more! ===================================================== Want more episodes and to join a spiritual community? Don't forget to join our Patreon - $10 a months we go live, do more podcasts and share more information around witchcraft, archaeology and more! Sign up here ! Don't forget to like, subscribe and rate our podcast! READINGS, SOCIALS AND CLASSES BELOW: Interested in studying and growing your gifts in psychic mediumship?! We just came out with our beginners self-guided course - Foundations 1: Psychic Mediumship and You Check it out here: https://styxandbones.teachable.com/p/foundations-to-mediumship-course-one Watch Us on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCOUtwmf9GyCBGmB-nk_bQ4w Book a Reading with Us: https://www.crystalmoonclarity.com/services-crystal-moon-clarity Styx and Bones Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/styxandbonespodcast/ Shop Our Store Styx and Bones the Store: https://www.instagram.com/styxandbonesstore/ Chelsea's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/clchthonicwitch/ Tenn's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dirtdiaries_ Music by LiteSaturation --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/styx-and-bones-podcast/support

Vesta, also known as Hestia in Greek mythology, is the goddess of the hearth, the keeper of the sacred flame, and also the guardian of your home and community. She is a goddess that keeps the sacred fires going in communities and in sacred places of worship.  Vesta was the first daughter of Kronos and Rhea. As the first born Olympian, Vesta was always first to be honored with gifts and sacrifices. She was very well loved and respected in ancient society. Do you know what the word “virgin” meant in the ancient world? In this episode, find out who the Vestal Virgins were and what their duties were as priestesses to Vesta. The asteroid, Vesta, was also named after this goddess. The surface of this asteroid looks like it is composed of volcanic rock which reflects the sunlight which is why she is the only asteroid visible with the naked eye. In astrology, Vesta represents your sexual energy outside of traditional union or marriage. Connect with the Goddesses:  https://www.goddesswitchwomb.com   Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/goddesswitchwomb/   Follow us on TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@goddesswitchwomb   Divine Feminine Membership: https://mysticharmonymysteryschool.teachable.com/p/membership

Stacey is an internationally respected pagan practitioner, Witch, author and activist whose passion is to make practical magic accessible to everyone. Stacey has also become somewhat of a ‘big-sister' to our humble podcast, we are always amazed at her wealth of wisdom and knowledge. We couldn't be happier that she is joining us today to share one of her new creations, her brand new book, Priestess Path which describes 13 ancient powerful lessons on building inner strength, available from the 2nd of August. We ask Stacey about what the role of a Priestess is, and what it may have looked like in ancient times- as well as in modern-day society. Stacey also shares her knowledge of The Oracles of Delphi, the Greek Priestesses of the ancient world, the Heireia, Celtic Priestesses, and the Vestal Virgins of Rome. Stacey's down-to-earth yet scholastic spiritual style, along with her skill of weaving ancient techniques to solve modern problems make her work unique and compelling, and her new book stays true to the cause. Show Stacey some love in the following places The Modern Witch website Priestess Path pre-sale   Stacey's Instagram handles TheModern Witch NatureLuster  Visit ⁠⁠AshaMoon⁠⁠ ⁠⁠ShannonCotterill ⁠⁠Have a witchy question to ask? Get in touch, we would love to hear from you! Follow us, and DM on Instagram ⁠⁠@turnsout_shesawitch⁠⁠ Presented by Shannon Cotterill & Laura Turner. Production & original music by Matt Turner ⁠⁠@turnzout_media⁠⁠ 

This podcast is a commentary and does not contain any copyrighted material of the reference source. We strongly recommend accessing/buying the reference source at the same time. ■Reference Source https://www.ted.com/talks/peta_greenfield_who_were_the_vestal_virgins_and_what_was_their_job ■Post on this topic (You can get FREE learning materials!) https://englist.me/55-academic-words-reference-from-peta-greenfield-who-were-the-vestal-virgins-and-what-was-their-job-ted-talk/ ■Youtube Video https://youtu.be/CQ-8Q5YiEE4 (All Words) https://youtu.be/eDiErVinESA (Advanced Words) https://youtu.be/_cAOD2vfv9w (Quick Look) ■Top Page for Further Materials https://englist.me/ ■SNS (Please follow!)

Episodio 5.16 de Las Cosas Que Hay Que Escuchar, en el cual enderezamos entuertos junto a Tappi Tikarrass, Lene Lovich, The Primitives, Stereo Total, That Dog, 50 Foot Wave, Snakefinger’s Vestal Virgins, Jorge Schussheim, The Andrew Sisters, Lisa Gerrard, Angels of Light, Tronco, Los Encargados, Shakespears Sister y Yazoo. Y, obviamente, todo el delirio habitual de Saurio y las voces que lo atormentan. Si quieren convidar con un cafecito ☕, pueden hacerlo acá: https://cafecito.app/saurio Programa emitido originalmente el 18 de junio de 2023 por FM La Tribu, 88.7, Buenos Aires, Argentina. Repite el 21 de junio de 2023 en Radio Asamblea FM 94.1, CABA, y el 20 y 24 de junio de 2023 en Radio de la Calle, FM 87.9, Bahía Blanca

Hello and welcome to episode three in our myth and folklore mini series. In this episode we are looking at the Vestal Virgins. So grab a cuppa and hit play! Instagram: @sagas_of_she Facebook: @sagasofshe Music Credit - Violin Huasteco - Jimena Contreras (YouTube Audio Library)

June 06 2023   The Witch Daily Show (https://www.witchdailyshow.com) is talking Vestal Virgins   Our sponsor today Is The Swallows (https://www.amazon.com/dp/1088001211/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=%22the+swallows%22+%22kristen+clanton%22&qid=1680267783&sr=8-1) and   (   Want to buy me a cup of coffee? Venmo: TonyaWitch - Last 4: 9226   Our quote of the day Is: ― “And so with the sunshine and the great bursts of leaves growing on the trees, just as things grow in fast movies, I had that familiar conviction that life was beginning over again with the summer.” ― F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby   Headlines: (https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=pfbid033xcnuybu3URnZGMUM3dwBacDu8UJRmu6MoRdbtUFNFfxfrPC2j5ktkAP4jWgCKMBl&id=100057314903715)   Deck: Buffy the Vampire Slayer Tarot Deck ()   Other Sources: (https://www.wellandgood.com/butterfly-pea-flower-benefits/)   Magic of the day – Response of the day - Question of the day -   Thank you so much for joining me this morning, if you have any witch tips, questions, witch fails, or you know of news I missed, visit https://www.witchdailyshow.com or email me at thewitchdailypodcast@gmail.com If you want to support The Witch Daily Show please visit our patreon page https://www.patreon.com/witchdailyshow   Mailing Address (must be addressed as shown below) Tonya Brown 3436 Magazine St #460 New Orleans, LA 70115

Who got chosen to be a Vestal Virgin, and what was their job description? 

In this week's episode, Stephanie tells us all about some of the most powerful people in Ancient Rome - the Vestal Virgins. They were the priestesses of Vesta, the goddess of the hearth and the home. Listen now to learn about the mythology and politics that shaped this sacred order. - Thank you for listening Weirdos! Show the podcast some love by rating, reviewing, subscribing and sharing it today. Your support means so much to us. Let's stay in touch

December 11: Saint Damasus I, Pope c. 305–384 Optional Memorial; Liturgical Color: White Patron Saint of Archaeologists A dynamic pope mentors Jerome and embellishes catacombs Damasus reigned in the era when the popes died in their beds. The long winter of Roman oppression had ended. The arenas were empty. Christians were still occasionally martyred, but not in Rome. The many popes of the 200s who were exiled, murdered, or imprisoned were consigned to history by the late 300s. The Church was not merely legal by Damasus' time but was established, by decree, in 380 as the official religion of the Roman Empire. The slow-motion crumbling of paganism was such that Christian Senators and Pope Damasus petitioned the emperor that a prominent and famed Altar of Victory in the Senate be removed. The request was granted. No more Vestal Virgins, pagan priests reading entrails, a Pontifex Maximus, or auguries either. The Church was in the ascendancy. As Rome's military prowess deteriorated and the Eastern Empire was theologically mangled by the Arian controversy, the Bishop of Rome's importance swelled. Pope Damasus rode the first wave of these historical and religious trends. He was perhaps the first pope to rule with swagger. Damasus was of Spanish origins, and his father was likely a married priest serving in Rome's church of the martyr Saint Lawrence. Damasus was probably a deacon in that same church. He was elected Bishop of Rome in 366 but not without some controversy. A rival was aggressively supported by a violent minority who defamed Damasus, though they never removed him. Damasus cared for theology and held two synods in Rome, one of which excommunicated the Arian Bishop of Milan, making way for Saint Ambrose to later hold that see. Pope Damasus also sent legates to the First Council of Constantinople in 381, which reiterated and sharpened the language of the Creed developed at Nicea in 325. Perhaps Damasus' greatest legacy is not directly his own. He employed a talented young priest-scholar named Jerome as his personal secretary. It was Damasus who instructed Jerome to undertake his colossal, lifelong task of compiling from the original Greek and Hebrew texts a new Latin version of the Old and New Testaments to replace the poorly translated Old Latin Bibles then in use. The Vulgate, as Jerome's work is known, has been the official Bible of the Catholic Church since its completion. Description automatically generatedRome's theological ascendancy made its bishop the Empire's primary source and focus of unity. This, in turn, led to accusations, first aired in Damasus' time, that Rome's prelates lived in excessive grandeur. One pagan senator said mockingly that if he could live like a bishop he would gladly become a Christian. Similar charges would hound Rome throughout history. But Damasus strictly enforced a decree prohibiting clergy from accepting gifts from widows and orphans, and he himself lived a holy life. He restored his father's house church, now called Saint Lawrence in Damasus. The church still reflects its origins and is found inside of a larger building, just where a house church would have been located in ancient times. Pope Damasus also left a beautiful legacy in Rome's catacombs, a legacy which has only been fully appreciated due to modern archeological excavations. Damasus was very devoted to Rome's martyrs and embellished many of their tombs with brief Latin inscriptions. The papal crypt in the Catacombs of Saint Callixtus still houses the original marble slab engraved with Damasus' moving eulogy to the popes and martyrs entombed nearby. The epitaph ends with Damasus stating that although he wished to be buried in that crypt, he did not want to offend such holy remains with his presence. But Damasus composed his most tender epitaph for his own tomb: “He who walking on the sea could calm its bitter waves; He who gives life to dying seeds of the earth; He who was able to loose the mortal chains of death, and after three days' darkness could bring forth the brother for his sister Martha; He, I believe, will make Damasus rise anew from his ashes.” Damasus was clearly a Christian first and a pope second. Saint Damasus, you led the Church with a mixture of theological acumen, administrative competence, holy witness, and artistic flourish. Intercede in heaven for all who exercise headship in the Church to lead Her with attributes similar to your own.

The Partial Historians (Drs. Greenfield & Radford), educators and Roman history podcasters, join Lexie to chat about how the pandemic helped renew interest in Classics, differences between the Aussie/US educational systems and specializations, and behind the scenes of starting the Partial Historians podcast & what inspires them. So tuck in your togas and hop aboard Trireme Transit for this week's exciting odyssey! Don't forget to follow us on Twitter, Facebook & Instagram or visit our website www.theozymandiasproject.com!Follow The Partial Historians Podcast: https://partialhistorians.com/Check out the TED-ed The Vestal Virgins: https://www.ted.com/talks/peta_greenfield_who_were_the_vestal_virgins_and_what_was_their_jobCheck out TED-ed Augustus vs History: https://ed.ted.com/lessons/history-vs-augustus-alex-gendler-and-peta-greenfieldCheck out TED-ed Spartacus: https://ed.ted.com/lessons/from-slave-to-rebel-gladiator-the-life-of-spartacus-fiona-radford Find their book on the Roman Kings: https://highlands-press.com/books/Follow The Partial Historians on Twitter: https://twitter.com/p_historiansInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/partialhistorians/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thepartialhistoriansSupport them on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/partialhistorians  Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/TheOzymandiasProject Custom music by Brent Arehart of Arehart Sounds. Get exclusive bonus content (ad free episodes, early releases, and experimental content) on Patreon! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Happy 6th birthday to the Blood, Sweat and Tears (2016). Join Lia and our favorite International Correspondent, Lexi, in unpacking the symbolism and Easter eggs found in BTS's iconic music video. Do people in your life ever dismiss your BTS love as supporting "some stupid boy band?" First, ew. You get to enjoy and celebrate WHATEVER brings you joy, friend. But secondly, while we love a surface-level banger like Butter...when the guys go deep, they tunnel into the depths of human duality and draw on influences from folks like Nobel-Prize winner Herman Hesse and the gnostic mystical concept of Abraxas. So if you ever want to "well, actually," a BTS naysayer, tune in and bulk up your argument.Show notes:The Music VideosBTS (방탄소년단) '피 땀 눈물 (Blood Sweat & Tears)' Official MVBTS (防弾少年団) '血、汗、涙 -Japanese Ver.-' Official MVBTS (방탄소년단) 'ON' Official MVBTS (방탄소년단) 'ON' Kinetic Manifesto Film : Come PrimaBTS (방탄소년단) 'IDOL' Official MVBTS (방탄소년단) 'Butter' Official MVAgust D '대취타' MV (Daechwita)The Art:The Fall of the Rebel AngelsPieter Bruegel the Elder (1562)Hieronymus BoschThe Lament for IcarusHerbert James Draper (1898)PietàMichelangelo (1498-1499)A veiled Vestal VirginRaffaelle Monti (1846-1847)The books:Demian (Hermann Hesse) - Mere Mortals Book ReviewThus Spoke Zarathustra: A Book for All and None by Friedrich Nietzsche The Music:Bach's Mass in B MinorBuxtehude's Passacaglia in D MinorThe Mythology:Michael (Archangel)ApolloAbraxasIcarusHyakinthos (Hyacinthus)Zephyr (Zephyros)The Miscellaneous:[ENG] 161012 [BANGTAN BOMB] 'Blood Sweat & Tears' MV Reaction by BTSBTS - Blood Sweat and Tears - ParodyLia's husband's audio she didn't recognize

Or Confusing Warping, Unbreakable Bods, Gross Nightmares, Waistcoatal Nerds, Reading Hill, Scary Shack.

It's another BONUS Patron-curated episode! For this one, we asked our Patrons to send in their favorite INSTRUMENTAL song. No singers?? No problem!! Songs featured in this episode: Waltzinblack - The Stranglers; Jessica - The Allman Brothers Band; Fun To Be Happy - Love Tractor; Groovy Delivery Boy - Frank DeVol; Fracture (Live) - King Crimson; The Köln Concert, Part IIc - Keith Jarrett; La Femme d'Argent - Air; Brendan #1 - Fugazi; Pacifica - Los Straitjackets; What Does Your Soul Look Like - DJ Shadow; Astradyne - Ultravox; Sandusky - Uncle Tupelo; Roygbiv - Boards of Canada; Larks Tongues in Aspic Parts 1 & 2 - King Crimson; Quilombo - Steroid Maximus; Straight No Chaser - Thelonious Monk; Papa's Got A Brand New Pigbag - Pigbag; Ekute - Pino Palladino & Blake Mills; Lester Leaps In - The Monochrome Set; Slim Jenkins' Place - Booker T. & The MGs; Mosh, Don't Pass The Guy - Frank Black; Move - Snakefinger's Vestal Virgins; Metal Machine Music - Lou Reed; Vuscalli (The Porcupine) - Humbert

I wanted to do an episode that focused on Rome in the same sort of format I had done with my past Greek Periphery episodes. Though, my knowledge on Roman history is quite rusty at best, so I wanted to enlist some help to present this episode. For this I turned to Dr Fiona Radford and Dr Peta Greenfield from the Partial Historians podcast. Unfortunately, the timing didn't line up with the series of Periphery episodes I had done, but never the less I still wanted to present this look at Rome. So, I decided to present this episode as part of the interview series where we will take a quick break from our narrative.Like I said this episode is done with a similar idea as the past Greek Periphery episodes where we look back to some of the earliest times in the region we are focusing on. We then move forward exploring the tales and myths surrounding the foundations before then turning to what more tangible lines of evidence tells us. This will then see discussion move into areas where we then have literary accounts that help provide an idea of what was developing. I thought it would be interesting to focus on the city of Rome, rather than the larger regions we had done before, since Rome is such a well-known city of the ancient world. Though, I also wanted to compare its developments to what was taking place in Greece around the same periods.  In this episode with Dr Greenfield and Dr Radford from the Partial Historians we follow this same formula where we then look at parallels and compare to what was taking place in Greece to help provide some context to the developments in Rome. Instead of looking at Rome over a series of episodes like with the previous periphery episodes we followed the foundations all the way through to the beginning of the republic in this talk stretching for just over an hour and a half. This also coincides with roughly the same period we brought all our other looks at the wider Greek world up to.  Dr Fiona Radford is an expert on Rome on film and wrote her thesis on Kubrick's Spartacus. Her research interest in film makes her an exponent of not only Ancient History, but also Reception Studies. Dr Radford's work has taken her across the globe and into rarely viewed archives.Dr Peta Greenfield is an expert on the Vestal Virgins, a collective of six priestesses whose aedes (temple) was located at the edge of the Roman forum. Her research interests include: the intersection between religion and politics in Rome, the Late Republic (c. 150 BC – 31 BC) and Augustan Period (c. 31 BC – AD 14), and the role of women.Together both Dr Greenfield and Dr Radford produce and present the Partial historians podcast were they discuss, spar, and laugh their way through different aspects of the Roman world.They would love to have you along for the ride! And you can find them where ever you get your podcasts.Partial Historians website Twitter Facebook Instagram iTunes Spotify Support the show

In Roman mythology, the twin brothers Romulus and Remus created the city of Rome. The killing of Remus by his twin, along with other tales from their story, have inspired artists throughout the ages. Since ancient times, the image of a she-wolf suckling the twins has been a symbol of the city of Rome and the ancient Romans. The story of the twin brothers is believed to have been told before the founding of Rome. This is because the earliest written account of the myth dates back to the 3rd century BC.The pair were the children of Mars and Rhea, and their story is often told by authors such as Virgil wherein they were born in order to create Rome. Modern scholarship approaches the stories of Romulus and Remus, with the retelling being based on the various versions presented by Roman historians. Other narratives suggest that these are popular or folkloric traditions, while some remain inscrutable in their meanings.They were often described by poets and painters to be well built, tall and had the classic physical features of the classical Mediterranean man. They had dark curly hair and physically dominant in stature.They are descendants of Aeneas, who were responsible for discovering Italy. Romulus and Remus were related to Aeneas through Numitor, who was the king of Alba Longa and their mother's father. Before they were conceived, his reign was usurped by Amulius, who was the brother of Mars.Amulius inherited the treasury of Alba Longa from Numitor. He wanted to avoid a conflict of power, so he killed the male heirs of Numitor and forced Rhea to become a Vestal Virgin. Vestal Virgins were priestesses of Vesta, patron goddess of the hearth; they were charged with keeping a sacred fire that was never to be extinguished and to take vows of chastity.Some legends suggest that Mars appeared and laid with Rhea, while others suggest that Hercules was her partner. It is also possible that she was raped by an unknown man, and that she gave birth to her sons. It was custom for a Vestal Virgin to be condemned to death if she betrayed her vows, however, since Amulius feared the wrath of Hercules or Mars, he did not want to stain his hands with the blood of her children.Amulius ordered the execution of the twin brothers by throwing them into the Tiber River. He believed that since they would die without being killed by the sword, they would be spared from punishment by the gods. He ordered a servant to carry out the death sentence, but in every scenario of this myth, the servant takes pity on the twins and spares their lives. The servant, then, places the twins into a basket onto the River Tiber, and the river carries the boys to safety.Being characters that were exclusive to the Roman mythology and among the few characters that were not influenced by the Greeks, they do not have any alternate names.  The city of Rome was named after the victorious brother Romulus who fought with his brother over the location of the new city.The twins were not blessed with any powers or super human capabilities. They however had established themselves as leaders with the command over the people within their armies.The story of Romulus and Remus have been told and retold from various perspectives in modern cinema, television and have inspired numerous books and novels. There have been claims that the biblical story of Cain and Able was heavily inspired by the legend of Romulus and Remus.Read about them at https://mythlok.com/romulus-remus/

Sophie (age 7) and Ellie (age 5) tell the story of gruesome executions from history – feeding Christians to the lions, the punishment of the sack, decimation of soldiers and more. We start with the punishment of the sack. Romans kept this punishment for people who killed their father. They would put the person inside a large sack. Then they would put a live monkey, a snake, a dog and a rooster in the sack too. The sack was tied up with everyone inside. They it was thrown into the river so that everyone drowned. Next we tell of how the Christians were punished by the Romans. The Romans wanted Christians to agree that there's was not the only God but there was also the Roman gods – Jupiter and Venus and others. Christians would not agree. So many of them were taken to the Colosseum in Rome. This is where Gladiator fights happened. The Christians had no swords or armour. The Romans had wild animals like lions and tigers. They had not been fed for ages so they were now hungry. The Romans let them loose on the Christians. The Lions and tigers ate the Christians. However, in Roman times it was not only the Romans who were fierce. There was a Roman General called Crassus. He was very rich. He led an army to invade Parthia. There was a battle fought in the desert. Instead of attacking the Romans, the Parthians attacked the wagons with the water in them. They broke open the barrels of water and the water drained into the desert. The Romans had to surrender because they had no water. When the Parthian Emperor had the Crassus in his hands, he poured molten gold down Crassus' throat to mock his wealth. The Romans knew that losing battles was a bad idea. So they had a way of making sure that their soldiers did not run away. If a unit ran away in battle then after the battle there was a terrible punishment for them. Everyone in the unit had to draw straws. Some of the straws were long, but some were short. There were nine long ones to one short one. When you were drawing the straws you could not tell if the straw was long or short. Everyone who had a long straw too a club and stood in two lines facing each other. Everyone who had a short straw had to run between the two lines. The people with a short straw were then beaten to death by the people with a long straw. They called this decimation which means killing one in ten. It wasn't only men and soldiers who faced terrible executions. The Romans had priestesses called Vestal Virgins. They kept a sacred fired in Rome burning. They lived in luxury but they were not allowed to have boyfriends or get married. If one of them did get a boyfriend then she faced a terrible punishment. It was not allowed to kill a Vestal Virgin. So she was locked in an underground room without any food and left there to starve to death! PATRONS' CLUB We had so many stories this week that we have saved some of them for our Patrons' episode. We have there a follow on episode. It has stories of death by rat, death by elephant, death by red hot poker, death by cannon and death by being hung, drawn and quartered. You can join at www.patreon.com/historystorytime.    

➡️Watch this interview on YouTube here: https://youtube.com/channel/UCrON_5cqOUnFfQSp_7LaBNg ✨Some Vesta stuff Bear & I chatted about during this interview! ➡️The worship of Hestia / Vesta in Ancient Greece ➡️The role of the Vestal Virgins during the Roman Empire ➡️ Vesta's placement in the natal chart relating to literal theme of fire, but also personal autonomy and sovernity, queerness, sacred sexuality, religious trauma, and the rejection of patriarchal relationship norms ➡️ How Vesta teaches us to “tend to the alter” & develop a spiritual practice ➡️The creation of a safe home environment where one can truly feel like they can be themselves

We're starting season 2, with the life of the Vestal Virgins. In this episode we learn about what life was like for the virgins of Vesta and how they had to give up their lives in servitude to their goddess.

Photo: Triumph of Chastity: unicorns draw a carriage bearing a female figure seated next to a sphinx and holding a standard, Vestal virgins walk behind the carriage, round temple of Vesta at right, from the series 'The Triumphs of Petrarch' .The New John Batchelor ShowCBS Audio Network@Batchelorshow#CivilWar?: The Roman Pontificate, the Vestal Virgins, and Court-packing. Michael Vlahos Johns Hopkins @JHUWorldCrisis https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/democrats-e2-80-99-court-packing-two-step/ar-BB1fJpJU

In Episode XI, we warm up by the hearth and bust out the knitting needles with Hestia! Join us as we look at her sacred donkey, Hestia vs. Vesta and the incredible Vestal Virgins! Learn all about how the Vestals worked miracles to prove their virginity or got buried alive! Also, tune in for an extended chat about forgotten gods and where (we think) they are now! When God Was Queer is hosted by Dakota St. Clare, Vince Vance & Daphne Malfitano. Subscribe. Rate. Review. Pleeeeeease. Follow us on IG & TikTok for all the updates and info @whengodwasqueer --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/whengodwasqueer/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/whengodwasqueer/support

 Numa Pompilius, a man whom never wanted to be King, a man with a deep faith in the Gods topped off with a philosophy abhorrently against an aggression and anger driven society forever at war depriving Rome's citizens of more Godly and more peaceful societal improvements. If it's said, Romulus gifted the Romans with a grand military tradition and supporting institutions which would last for a millennia, then Numa as a counter to military traditions, gifted the Romans grand religious traditions and supporting religious institutions, which would last for a millennia or more also. Hope you enjoy! Head over to our blog and leave some comments, lets get the conversation started.Chris & RyanSupport the show (https://www.paypal.com/donate?hosted_button_id=RLVZ3VNNPSRAL)

The Temple of Vesta was integrated into the adjacent House and Sanctuary of the Vestal Virgins. The only remains of the temple itself are a modest mound of concrete however there is a reconstruction of part of the circular temple wall with adjacent columns that give some sense of the shape and scale of the temple building. The area served as both accommodation and a religious site for only six vestal virgins and provided a place where they could keep the sacred fire alight – a key part of their service to Vesta.  Much of the underlying Sanctuary structure dates back to at least 150 BCE but it is likely that there were earlier temples and housing here as the tradition goes back to at least 400 years earlier. The area has been rebuilt and expanded multiple times over the course of the empire.  At one time the large complex housed over 60 rooms, had its own well, courtyard and altar that presumably catered to the Vestal Virgins, their religious ceremonies and their large retinue of slaves and assistants. Vestals entered service between the ages of 6 and 10 and remained in position for a minimum of 30 years. They had special privileges such as enjoying special seating at major events, they were able to own property, any injury to them was punishable by death, they could free condemned prisoners simply by touching them and they had complete right of way while moving around Rome and were aided in this by having a lictor walk ahead of them clearing the way.  

Priestesses of Vesta, Goddess of hearth, home and family, the College of Vestal Virgins were Rome’s only full-time priesthood. They numbered only six and were selected from noble Roman families at an early age, between six and 10 years old. They would tend the sacred fire in the Temple of Vesta and remain virgins for the duration of their tenure, which would stretch long into womanhood, lasting at least 30 years. Their importance to Rome was paramount and throughout this ancient civilisation's pagan history, the Vestal Virgins remained right at the heart of Roman society. But things were not always plain sailing for the Vestals during their 1,000 year history... I was delighted to be joined by a leading light on this subject Peta Greenfield to talk through the history of the Vestals. From the importance of fire and water for the cult to the infamous Vestal punishment of 'incestum' Peta explained the history behind all in this brilliant chat.Quick note:Octavia was Octavian / Augustus' sister.Livia was Augustus' wife. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Aside from possibly Greece’s Oracle of Delphi, the Vestal Virgins devoted to the Roman goddess Vesta, ruler of the Hearth, are the most famous ancient cult in European history. Yet most people don’t really know much about this esteemed group, even though they were one of the most enduring organizations in Roman history.

WANTED: Child to remain a virgin for the next 30 years, to be taken from family and devote all of daily life to the job, failure to succeed will lead to death by being buried alive. If this was a job advertisement today people would be horrified but this was essentially the job of the vestal virgins. In this episode Jen will tell you the story of one of the worst jobs in history. For ad free and exclusive content become a Patron at Patreon,com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Episode 18I this mini episode Charlotte Appleyard discusses the lives of Vestal Virgin's, priestesses who enjoyed a semi - divine status and privileges unknown to most women, but were also bound to live 30 years of celibacy and forced to serve in the temple performing rites and maintaining the sacred flame. If the flame was ever extinguished these women would face a fatal punishment. For visual sources follow us on instagram @themuseumoffeminintyResourceshttps://research.britishmuseum.org/research/collection_online/collection_object_details.aspx?objectId=465546&partId=1https://www.nationalgeographic.com/history/magazine/2018/11-12/vestal-virgins-of-ancient-rome/https://www.ancient.eu/Vesta/#romanhistory #vestalvirgins #thehistoryofrome #womeninrome #romanwomen #priestesses #britishmuseum #historyofart #arthistory #artpodcast #historypodcast

Vesta was the Roman Priestess of Hearth, family and home from Ancient Rome. This is a chat about the role of Priestess, the fact her Vestal Virgins existed in a martial patriarchal society with very firm legislation surrounding their roles. Interesting to reflect on how so many natural shakti filled women are somehow still in fear of opening to it fully....

Welcome to a day in the life of an ancient Roman matrona. Now that we've learned a bit about Rome's overarching history, woken up, visited the bathroom, and gotten dressed and ready for the day in Part 1, let's explore our domus, meet our husband, and talk about some of our rights under the law. We'll find out what women are doing for work and take a trip to the House of Vesta to meet the Vestal Virgins, who are some of the most powerful women in Rome. For a transcript, a list of my sources, and lots of images, check out my website. To support the show and get extra content and goodies, go to my Patreon page or explore my Etsy merchandise shop. Music featured comes courtesy of Michael Levy. Thanks to our Rome expert guests Dr. Rhiannon Evans, main guest on the podcast Emperors of Rome, and Dr. Rad and Dr. G of The Partial Historians.

The Vestal Virgins carried out some of the most important rituals in the Roman Empire, and their temple was revered and unique in its structure and function. You can still see the remains of it in the Roman Forum, but as with many Roman buildings there’s less to it than meets the eye. Guest: Dr Peta Greenfield (Public Historian, co-host of ‘The Partial Historians’)

The Vestals were an order of priestesses who were sacred to Rome, and were respected and referred as symbols of a safe and stable empire. They had the all-important duty of maintaining the sacred flame, and if it were extinguished, it would be a sign of impending disaster. Guest: Dr Peta Greenfield (Public Historian, co-host of 'The Partial Historians' podcast)

It feels only right to follow up taking about Vestal Virgins with talking about Ancient Greek Prostitutes. Phryne, Lamia, Aspasia- all actual women who ascended to legend by being the best kind of ho. Actress/Writer and longtime #Mythfit Weslie Lechner joins Paul and Sarah as they dive into the world's oldest profession. Support the show by leaving a Rating & Review and be sure to visit www.dragonwagonshop.com for awesome Mythunderstood shirts and mugs! Mythunderstood is a part of the Dragon Wagon Radio independent podcast network. Learn more at www.dragonwagonradio.com  

It's the first half of the season one finale, and wow! there's a lot to discuss. In episode 101A, we talk everything from "tool and die" to Vestal Virgins as MacPherson leads Pete, Myka, and Artie on a dangerous chase. Plus, special shout-out to friend of the show and writer of WH13 Benjamin Raab, for offering a few corrections and behind-the-scenes info. Look forward to Part 2 as soon as we get it done this Tuesday! Lastly, we love our German intro recording by Patreon supporter Numo. You can introduce us, too, by checking out our Patreon tiers :)

播音：张晨星编辑：张晨星

In this special guest episode, Peta and I discuss a few aspects in regards to the role of women in the religious sphere of Rome and compare/contrast it with ancient Greece Show Notes: http://www.thehistoryofancientgreece.com/2018/10/special-guest-episode-on-roman-women.html   Peta Greenfield Co-Host of the Partial Historians Podcast Website: https://partialhistorians.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thepartialhistorians/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/p_historians and https://twitter.com/peta_greenfield TED-Ed Video: Who were the Vestal Virgins, and what was their job? - Peta Greenfield

Did you know that in ancient Rome there was a cult of ladies who protected an eternal flame, which wasn't weird at all? This episode covers basic facts about who the Vestal Virgins were, and their role in Ancient Rome.

"Friends, Romans, Travelers, lend me your earbuds." Resurrect the ancient rubble of Rome's center — the world of Vestal Virgins, passionate orators, conquering generals, and sleazy emperors. Don't forget to download the handy PDF companion map at https://www.ricksteves.com/audiotours.

"Friends, Romans, Travelers, lend me your earbuds." Resurrect the ancient rubble of Rome's center — the world of Vestal Virgins, passionate orators, conquering generals, and sleazy emperors. Don't forget to download the handy PDF companion map at http://www.ricksteves.com/audiotours.

Britannia ushers in the Future of Valiant by taking us to the past, as we follow the adventures of Detectioner Antonius Axia and the Vestal Virgins.   This is a very different sort of book from Valiant, that seems to have very little ties to the Valiant Universe, and that presents a lot of possibilities, and a lot to discuss. We talk about all the ways that we loved this book. Spoiler Alert! We are going to discuss all plot points.

In this episode I talk with Lorraine Carey and we talk about Grand Cayman and the Cayman Islands, island fever compared to the rat race, being a reading specialist for children of all ages, rock star readers in kindergarten, Arizona and the Superstition Mountains, Rome, Pompey and Vestal Virgins, Pachentro Italy, gypsy legends and curses. She likes to read the classics, Tolkien, Brent Legg "The Last Librarian", Teema Maria Lacobia, "The Queen of Vampires", YA author Amanda Hawking, Find her at http://www.lorrainecarey.com   Lorraine Carey is a veteran children's reading specialist, teacher and an International Award-Winning Author. She has taught in many states in the US and currently is providing reading services for students at a private school on Grand Cayman, where she lives with her husband. Five years ago she was a city gal, living in Orange County, California, where life was very different from the one she lives in now. Trading in her fashionable heels for flip-flops was quite a change, but led to a lifestyle that allowed for a writing career to begin. Her love for paranormal stories and urban legends began at a young age, when staying up all night to watch spooky movies or reading a scary book started a lifelong passion. Published novels include: Losing Ground, a short memoir, followed by Mysteries of the Red Coyote Inn, Out of the Ashes, Jonathan's Locket and The Last Vestal Virgin. All of these novels are paranormal with a mix of historical fiction, woven with urban legends. Her most recent novel, Beloved Sacrifice, is a Supernatural Thriller for Young Adults to Adults. As a bonus, Mysteries of the Red Coyote Inn and Jonathan's Locket have free downloadable comprehension worksheets on her website for educators, or parents. Her latest novel, A Rock Star Reader by Kindergarten, is an educational guide for parents of young children to help their child achieve many of the pre-reading concepts necessary to be a successful reader by the time they reach kindergarten. When not writing you can find Lorraine reading, beach- hopping, snorkeling, or boating around the island with her husband on their boat, the Angelica.

This week: A special "fun fact" edition!

The team discuss Up Pompeii S01E01, 'Vestal Virgins'.

A winner of the Prix de Rome in 1704, Jean Raoux became famous for his depictions of Vestal Virgins. These paintings described the virtues of chastity and maidenhood, an image he often contrasted with that of the modern bourgeois women, whose excesses and narcissism were at odds with moral virtue. Raoux’s reputation became such that the philosopher Voltaire described him as the equal of the great Dutch painter Rembrandt. Dido and Aeneas suggests Raoux’s interest in Rembrandt and other Northern European painters. Note the attention paid to particular surfaces, especially the exquisite rendering of the satin (an effect for which Raoux was well known), and its broad range of lights and darks. These influences are distilled with Raoux’s observations of Italian painting, made while resident in Rome, where he studied and copied the finest moments of classical antiquity and Renaissance painting. The scene itself, a moment from Virgil’s account of the fateful love of Dido, the Queen of Carthage, and the founder of Rome, Aeneas, is rendered in terms closer to everyday life than classical antiquity.