In punishment, she would be buried alive, entombed in a small, airless underground room with light, oil, food, and a place to sleep. The earth above it would then be leveled off, as if nothing were there. Thus a Vestal Virgin’s life as an embodiment of Hestia’s sacred flame was snuffed out when she ceased to personify the goddess—covered over with earth as one might extinguish smoldering coals on a hearth.
