This photo shows the courtyard of the House of the Vestal Virgins, taken from the Palantine Hill. The Vestal Virgins were the keepers of the eternal flame at the Temple of Vesta. There were about 30 of them at any given time, ten learning how to be a Vestal Virgin, ten actively protecting the flame, and ten teaching the newcomers. Once a woman had served her years as a Vestal, she was allowed to marry. The Vestal Virgins were the only women allowed in the lower tiers of the Colosseum.

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