She was the last child to be disgorged by Kronos. The third and final meaning of Hestia pertains to the state. For example, in almost every Greek prytaneum the administrative seat of government , a huge hearth dedicated to Hestia was found. It was in those places where ancient Greeks offered several sacrifices and prayers to the Greek gods. The hearth was also a place for people to gather and form strong social and civic bonds.
Hearths of those natures made Hestia commonly associated with issues of community or state well-being. In sharp contrast to many Greek gods and goddesses, Hestia never had a consort or a husband. She, along with goddesses Athena and Artemis, committed herself to remain an eternal virgin. Thus, Hestia, Artemis and Athena make up the famous three virgin goddesses whose hearts cannot be bend or ensnared by romantic love Not even by Aphrodite, the Greek goddess of love.
Owing to this vow, Zeus — the king of the gods — elevated Hestia to the position of royal hearth, arguably the highest honor any god can receive on Mt. Owing to this, her fellow gods always came to her defense whenever another deity threatened her chastity. In one incidence, Priapus — a minor god of fertility, fruits and male genitalia — attempted to rape Hestia who was sleeping.
Of all the Twelve Olympians , Hestia is one of the least portrayed deities. And even when she is shown, she is depicted as a modest woman in very humble clothes with a hood over her head. In her hands was generally a staff or a fire. Unlike the drama-packed lives and adventures of her siblings and other Greek gods, Hestia remained glued to her task. For this, she earned the respect and admiration of all the gods. The goddess of the hearth has also been described as pure and peaceful; she typically maintains a non-confrontational attitude.
Community centers such as Delos Prytaneion had public hearths that symbolized the goddess Hestia. The hearth played an integral part in the homes of ancient Greeks. It was used for heating and cooking for centuries.
It was believed that Hestia received the richest portion of every sacrifice and prayer made to Greek gods at a hearth. Net , May 12, Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Contents show. Who is Hestia in Greek Mythology? She was, like many women in the Greek world, meant to be a figure in the background who kept the fires lit but did not draw attention to herself. There were few temples to Hestia because she was invoked with all other sacrifices both in sanctuaries and in homes.
There were few images of Hestia because she featured in no dramatic myths and legends. Because Hestia was so rarely shown, no distinct iconography was created in relation to her. When not shown beside a fire, she could be mistaken for any average Greek woman.
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