Straying Vestal
During the early empire, Domitian's Chief Vestal was Cornelia.
It appears that she and some of her fellow priestesses had wearied of their vows
of celibacy. Unfortunately, they had not been discreet enough in their
activities. Domitian condemned them to death in 83AD and finally caught up with
Cornelia in 90AD.
Suetonius tells us:
"Taking a far more serious view than his father and brother had done of
unchastity among the Vestals, [Domitian] began by sentencing offenders to
execution, and afterwards resorted to the traditional form of punishment. Thus,
though he allowed the Oculata sisters, and Varonilla, to choose how they should
die, and sent their lovers into exile, he later ordered Cornelia, a
Chief-Vestal--aquitted at her first trial, but rearrested much later and
convicted---to be buried alive, and had her lovers clubbed to death in the
Comitium."
Plutarch describes the the traditional procedure when a Vestal strayed.
"For their minor offenses the virgins are punished with stripes, the
Pontifex Maximus sometimes scourging the culprit on her bare flesh, in a dark
place, with a curtain interposed. But she that has broken her vow of chastity is
buried alive near the Colline gate. Here a little ridge of earth extends for
some distance along the inside of the city wall....Under it a small chamber is
constructed, with steps leading down from above. In this are placed a couch with
its coverings, a lighted lamp, and very small portions of the necessaries of
life, such as bread, a bowl of water, milk, and oil, as though they would
thereby absolve themselves from the charge of destroying by hunger, a life which
had been consecrated to the highest services of religion. Then the culprit
herself is placed on a litter, over which coverings are thrown and fastened down
with cords so that not even a cry can be heard from within, and carried though
the forum. All the people there silently make way for the litter, and follow it
without uttering a sound, in a terrible depression of soul No other spectacle is
more appalling, nor does any other day bring more gloom to the city than this.
When the litter reaches its destination, the attendants unfasten the cords of
the coverings. Then the high priest, after stretching his hands toward heaven
and uttering certain mysterious prayers before the fatal act, brings forth the
culprit, who is closely veiled, and places her on the steps leading down into
the chamber. After this he turns away his face, as does the rest of the priest,
and when she has gone down, the steps are taken up, and great quantities of
earth are thrown into the chamber, hiding it away, and making the place level
with the rest of the mound. Such is the punishment of those who break their vows
of virginity."