James Finn
Nov 19, 2024

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Yes! And this eventually evolved into a rather ironclad legal tradition whereby wills had to be physically handed over for deposit in the Temple of the Vestals for the will to be valid or enforceable.

This gave the Vestals a degree of power and trust highly uncommon for Roman women.

Some historians suggest that late Republic scandals about men surreptitiously entering the temple (for ostensibly libidenous purposes) may have actually centered around fears of will tampering.

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James Finn
James Finn

Written by James Finn

James Finn is an LGBTQ columnist, a former Air Force intelligence analyst, an alumnus of Act Up NY, and an agented but unpublished novelist.

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