Myths and Legends of Ancient Greece and Rome. Hesiod, the Homeric Hymns and Homerica: The Homeric Hymns. CRATYLUS. Harry Thurston Peck, Harpers Dictionary of Classical Antiquities (1898), H, Hermias, Hestia. Hestia - About the Greek Goddess Hestia. Definition: Hestia Profile | Hestia Basics Hestia, the goddess of the hearth, is considered the founder of the family and the state and the one who maintains public reverence for the gods. Her parents are Cronus and Rhea, making Hestia the sister of Zeus, Poseidon, Hades, Hera, and Demeter. Therefore she is sometimes considered one of the twelve Olympians. Hestia is invoked at the beginning and end of all solemn public oaths and sacrifices. At the Prytaneion, townhall, her sacred fire was kept burning as the center of city life. There officials sacrificed to her as in a private home, the father or mother would worship her.
The attributes of Hestia include a serious, but gentle expression seen on statues, and a sceptre. Sources: Greek Religion, by Walter Burkert Handbook to Life in Ancient Greece, by Leslie and Roy Adkins Dictionary of Roman Religion, by Leslie and Roy Adkins Gods and Goddesses Index Also Known As: Vesta.