Hestia was the virgin goddess of the hearth (both private and municipal) and the home. As the goddess of the family hearth she also presided over the cooking of bread and the preparation of the family meal. Hestia was also the goddess of the sacrificial flame and received a share of every sacrifice to the gods. The cooking of the communal feast of sacrificial meat was naturally a part of her domain.

In ancient Greek religion and mythology, Hestia is the virgin goddess of the hearth and the home. In myth, she is the firstborn child of the Titans Cronus and Rhea, and sister to Demeter, Hades, Hera, Poseidon, and Zeus. She is also one of the Twelve Olympians like her siblings.

According to the Theogony of Hesiod, Hestia, along with four of her five siblings, was devoured by her own father Cronus as an infant due to his fear of being overthrown by one of his offspring, and was only freed when her youngest brother Zeus forced their father to disgorge the children he had eaten. Cronus and the rest of the Titans were cast down, and Hestia then became one of the Olympian gods, the new rulers of the cosmos, alongside her brothers and sisters. After the establishment of the new order and in spite of her status, Hestia withdraws from prominence in mythology, with few and sparse appearances in tales.

The gods Poseidon and Apollo (her brother and nephew respectively) both fell in love with Hestia and vied for her hand in marriage. But Hestia would have neither of them, and went to Zeus instead, and swore a great oath, that she would remain a virgin for all time and never marry instead forever tending to the hearth of Olympus. Athena and Artemis would like their aunt also elected never to marry and remain an eternal virgin goddesses instead. In the Homeric Hymn to Aphrodite, Aphrodite is described as having "no power" over Hestia.

As the goddess of sacrificial fire, Hestia received the first offering at every domestic sacrifice. In the public domain, the hearth of the prytaneum functioned as her official sanctuary. Whenever a new colony was established, a flame from Hestia's public hearth in the mother city would be carried to the new settlement. The goddess Vesta is her Roman equivalent.

Hestia was closely connected with Zeus, god of the family in its external relation of hospitality and its internal unity. She was also associated with Hermes, the two representing domestic life on the one hand, and business and outdoor life on the other. In later philosophy Hestia became the hearth goddess of the universe.

All published appearances of Hestia from before January 1, )-(95)}} are public domain in the US.

Notable appearances are listed below:

* Theogony
* Homeric Hymn to Aphrodite
* Iliad
* Gigantomachy

* Wikipedia
* [https://comicvine.gamespot.com/hestia/4005-10918/ Comicvine]
* [https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Characters/ClassicalMythologyFirstGenerationOlympians TV Tropes]
* Myths in Media Wiki
* Myth & Folklore Wiki
* [https://www.theoi.com/Ouranios/Hestia.html Theoi]
* Religion Wiki
* Gacha Games Wiki
* [https://www.britannica.com/topic/Hestia Britannica]
* DC Wiki
* Marvel Wiki
* Ultimate Pop Culture Wiki
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