Those who broke their vows were punished harshly.Those who failed to attend the sacred fire were scourged. Breaking the vow of celibacy was punished by burying the offending priestess alive, outside the city of Rome. Roman law forbade the burial of persons inside the city, but ancient traditions decreed that the Vestal should be buried inside the city limits. Therefore, the priestess was buried outside the city, but with food and water for a few days, thus being a guest of the city. It was also forbidden to shed the blood of a Vestal. Rhea Silva, the mother of Romulus and Remus, was a Vestal.