Number of Vestals
At its foundation, the College of Vestals had only four members, and was enlarged to six sometime in its very early history. At its peak the College of Vestals consisted of 18 girls and women, though only the senior-most six were termed Vestals and were full priestesses; the junior 12 were child-novices and maiden acolytes. During the Republic and Empire, three new novices would be chosen every five years upon the retirement of the three senior Vestals; these novices were almost always prepubescent girls. If a member of the college died, her replacement served out the deceased's term of service.
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