Hestia is the gentle goddess of the hearth fire (hestia), which burned in the center of every Greek home and city. She received the first offering at every sacrifice.
First and Last
She was the first child swallowed by Cronus and the last regurgitated, making her both the oldest and youngest of the Olympians. She gave up her seat on Olympus to Dionysus to prevent conflict, tending instead to the sacred fire that could never go out.
Primary Sources
Historical texts and references
“Hestia, in the high dwellings of all, both deathless gods and men who walk on earth, you have gained an everlasting abode and highest honour.”
