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673 BCE
Vestal Virgins
Vestal Virgins were early Roman priestesses of the god Vesta, goddess of the hearth. According to Kristian Heineman from Colorado State University, the Vestal Virgins’ main job was to keep the sacred fire burning. This fire was shared with everyone in Rome. The Vestals were also in charge of important documents such as last wills and testaments and guarding sacred religious objects. After being approved to be a Vestal, the virgin had to take a 30-year vow of chastity. -
510 BCE
Lucretia
Lucretia was a Roman noblewoman who was considered to be the embodiment of the ideal Roman woman. Sextus Tarquinius, the son of King Lucius Superbus, was told about Lucretia’s virtues and decided to rape Lucretia to take away her virginity and reputation. The next day, Lucretia took a dagger and killed herself. Superbus fell out of favor with the people for protecting Sextus and was killed. The Roman government re-structured itself as a republic because of the rape of Lucretia. -
18 BCE
The Virgin Mary
The Virgin Mary is the most famous virgin in the world. She was the the mother of Jesus. She was chosen by God to give birth to God’s son who would bring salvation to humanity. Mary is one of the most important people in Christianity and is labeled as a perpetual virgin. This means that Mary was a virgin before, during and after Jesus’ crucifixion until her death. Muslims believe that she is the “greatest of all women” and a model for godly behavior. She is the only woman named in the Quran. -
Jan 6, 1412
Joan of Arc
Joan of Arc was a peasant who became a French military leader. The French kept losing territory to England which scared the king. Joan claimed she had visions from Christian saints who told her to reclaim the cities of Orleans and Reims, consolidate the King’s power and have him crowned in Reims. . She was background checked for devil worship and confirmed to be a devout Christian and a virgin. She was cleared for battle and re-conquered Orleans and Reims where the king was crowned days later. -
May 31, 1441
Lady Margaret Beaufort
Lady Beaufort was the most powerful virgin of 15th Century England. She was the heiress to the Duke of Somerset who had massive land holdings. She was engaged at the age of 12 to Edmund Tutor. She was too small and young to have a baby, but she was so valuable, Edmund got her pregnant immediately. It was a traumatic delivery, but she did give birth to a baby boy who would become King Henry VII. She never conceived again because giving birth at such a young age left her irreparably damaged. -
Sep 3, 1533
Queen Elizabeth I of England
Queen Elizabeth I of England is universally known as The Virgin Queen. Elizabeth claimed that her subjects and Jesus Christ were her husbands. When she went to war with and defeated Spain in 1588, Elizabeth used her virginity as a symbol to show that God had favor for England because of her purity and Protestant faith. In 1559, Elizabeth said, "And, in the end, this shall be for me sufficient, that a marble stone shall declare that a queen, having reigned such a time, lived and died a virgin". -
Lady Flora Hastings
Lady Flora Hastings was a member of the British aristocracy. Queen Victoria’s enemies were Hastings and John Conroy who created the Kensington System designed to make Victoria dependent on Conroy so he could govern England. After having an affair with Conroy, Hastings found a lump in her abdomen which Victoria thought was Conroy’s baby. To eliminate them, Victoria ordered she have a physical exam which proved Hastings was a virgin. The lump was a cancerous tumor and she died two months later.
