. ▁For ▁it ▁is ▁only ▁a ▁step ▁from ▁the ▁int em per ance ▁of ▁Liber ▁p ater ▁to ▁the ▁forb idden ▁things ▁of ▁Ven us ". ▁Some ▁ancient ▁sources ▁infer ▁that ▁women ▁were ▁b anned ▁from ▁offering ▁blood - and - w ine ▁sacrifice ▁in ▁their ▁own ▁right ; ▁even ▁b anned ▁from ▁handling ▁such ▁materials ; ▁both ▁claims ▁are ▁question able . ▁Nevertheless , ▁the ▁strong , ▁sacrific ial ▁grade ▁wine ▁used ▁in ▁the ▁r ites ▁to ▁B ona ▁De a ▁was ▁normally ▁reserved ▁for ▁Roman ▁gods , ▁and ▁Roman ▁men . ▁ ▁The ▁unusual ▁permissions ▁implicit ▁at ▁these ▁r ites ▁probably ▁derived ▁from ▁the ▁presence ▁and ▁religious ▁authority ▁of ▁the ▁V est als . ▁They ▁were ▁exception al ▁and ▁rever ed ▁persons ; ▁vir g ins , ▁but ▁not ▁subject ▁to ▁their ▁f athers ' ▁authority ; ▁and ▁mat rons , ▁but ▁independent ▁of ▁any ▁husband . ▁They ▁held ▁forms ▁of ▁privile ge ▁and ▁authority ▁otherwise ▁associated ▁only ▁with ▁Roman ▁men , ▁and ▁were ▁answer able ▁only ▁to ▁the ▁Senior ▁V est al ▁and ▁the ▁Pont if ex ▁Maxim us . ▁Their ▁rit ual ▁oblig ations ▁and ▁religious ▁integrity ▁were ▁central ▁to ▁the ▁well ▁being ▁of ▁the ▁Roman ▁state ▁and ▁all ▁its ▁citizens . ▁ ▁The ▁eu ph em istic ▁naming ▁of ▁strong ▁wine ▁at ▁this ▁festival ▁has ▁been ▁various ly ▁described ▁as ▁an ▁actual ▁substitution ▁for ▁milk ▁and ▁h oney , ▁relatively ▁late ▁in ▁the ▁cult ' s ▁development ; ▁as ▁a ▁the ological ▁abs urd ity ; ▁and ▁as