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Virgins and Prostitutes in Roman Mythology

This paper presents an analysis of a series of Roman myths which are based on the binary relationship between (Vestal) virgins and prostitutes. Very little has been said on this subject, and so far no one has attempted to trace the instances of its occurrence. By analysing three separate cases of the motif in Roman literature, we aim to clarify this curious mythological relationship. The first case concerns the most familiar story in Roman mythology, the foundation myth, where the virgin and the prostitute play the roles of a biological mother and a stepmother to the twins (Romulus and Remus), respectively. The second case deals with a less known example from the Second Punic War, where the same motif will become apparent. The third, and most difficult case, tackles the myths of Gaia Taracia and Acca Larentia, and this is where the virgin-prostitute binary motif will provide a solution to a very complex set of aetiological myths that have so far not been explained. The last section of the article will also reveal how the spatial conditions of Rome's urban development (especially the topography of the Tiber) shaped its historical consciousness.

Roman religion ; Roman mythology ; Roman topography, Tarentum ; Second Punic War ; Romulus and Remus ; Acca Larentia

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