Hestia Hestia is the forgotten goddess (Turnbull). Her life was forgotten from years of being misunderstood and beaten down by other gods and goddesses. She was eaten by her father (Atsma), kicked off of Mount Olympus by a demigod (Quartermain), and she had no spouses or children to give her love to (Apel and Kapach). No matter how many times everyone hurt or beat her down, she still remained a beacon for all of Greece (Evangelia). Hestia is a revered goddess in Greek Culture and she will continue to be one of the most important figures in history. Hestia’s family and birth had a strange twist, because after all of the six Kronides, or Kronos’ children, were born, their father swallowed them (Atsma). These Kronides included Zeus, Poseidon, …show more content…
After Zeus had won the Titanomachy, the three goddesses were sent to Mount Olympus, where they would become three of the new Olympians (Quartermain). Once the Kronides had settled in they were followed by Aphrodite, Ares, Athena, Artemis, Apollo, Hephaestus, and Hermes (Quartermain). After all of the chaos of the Titaonmachy happened, Hestia started to embrace her gifts and powers. Hestia is the goddess of the hearth and home (Atsma), and she is known for her gift of the eternal flame (Evangelia). This eternal flame was meant to represent the light and the warmth that she brought into the lives of the Greeks as well as a city's prosperity and health (Evangelia). The eternal flame represents Hestia’s presence and protection (Evangelia). If this flame was put out it would mean bad omens for the city or household (Tauseef). The hearths that were put out had to be relit only by the “pure” flame that burned in the center hearth in Delphi (Cartwright). Hestia also has many plants that represent her, including the angel’s trumpet (Datura), hollyhock, purple coneflower, and …show more content…
The donkey that woke Hestia was praised by all Greeks on Hestia’s feast day (Tauseef). After Hestia’s encounter with Priapus, she asked Zeus to keep her forever virgin (Tauseef). according to Homer’s 5th Hymn “.by the will of Zeus who holds the aegis, a queenly maid who both Poseidon and Apollo sought to wed. But she was wholly unwilling, nay, stubbornly refused; and touching the head of Father Zeus who holds the aegis, she, that fair goddess, swore a great oath which has in truth been fulfilled, that she would be a maiden all her days'' (Tauseef). According to Homer, Zeus was so moved by Hestia’s decision that he gave her the keys to Olympus, “So, Zeus, the father, gave her a high honor instead of marriage, and she had her place amid the house and had the richest portion. In all the temples of the gods, she has a share of honor, and among all mortal men she is chief of the goddesses,” (Tauseef). Hestia’s decision to stay virgin made her the center of Olympus (Evangelia), and was a decision that was respected by all of the gods and goddesses (Evangelia). Hestia’s Roman equivalent, Vesta, was just as important as Hestia herself