Abstract
The notion that women occupied a marginal position in Roman religion warrants qualification in the light of ritual practices. The religious calendar shows, in fact, that numerous ceremonies involved women acting on behalf of the community, either collectively – notably as matrones – or by virtue of a specific priestly office. Among the latter, two categories stand out, whose status is radically opposed: on the one hand, the Vestal Virgins; on the other, priestesses whose role is inextricably linked to marriage, such as the regina sacrorum and the flaminicae . This paper aims to re-examine the status of these priestesses on the basis of their ritual practices, paying particular attention to the relationships between priestly status, marital status and the capacity for religious action.
