The Digital Companion to Roman Antiquity

Diana’s Torch: Light, the Hunt, and the Boundary Between Worlds

Burning Roman torch beside a temple altar at sunset, with sacred flames, marble columns, and ancient Rome in the background.

Diana’s sanctuary at Nemi was served by a priest who held his position by killing his predecessor and keeping it by being ready to kill his successor at any moment. That institution — the King of the Wood, living armed in the grove, sleeping with his sword — tells you more about Diana’s torch than any amount of moonlight symbolism.