Hestia

Eldest child of Cronus, virgin goddess of the hearth and sacred fire.

Parentage

• father: CronusHesiod, Theogony 453–458 (primary)
• mother: RheaHesiod, Theogony 453–458 (primary)

Domains

• hearth

Powers

• Guards every hearth and receives the first offering
• Maintains perpetual virginity sworn by Zeus

Epithets

• Ἑστία Πρυτανῖτις greek · Hestía Prytanîtis'Hestia of the Prytaneion' — goddess of the civic hearth where the perpetual fire burnedPausanias 5.14.4 (Olympia Prytaneion) (primary)
• Ἑστία πρώτη greek · Hestía prṓtē'Hestia first' — the proverbial/ritual formula of offering to Hestia first in every sacrificeHomeric Hymn 29 (To Hestia) 4-6 (primary)
• πρεσβυτάτη grc · presbytate · epitheteldest (of the children of Cronus)Hesiod, Theogony 454; Homeric Hymn 5 to Aphrodite 22 (primary)

Relations

• sibling: HadesFull sibling — shares the same attested parentage (Cronus & Rhea) per the figures' cited genealogy.
• interpretatio: Hearth-Queen TabitiReciprocal of scythian_tabiti.interpretatio — Hdt: 'Hestia, in Scythian Tabiti', whom they honor most of all. Preserves the hearth-fire's primacy; breaks on rank — Tabiti is the supreme royal sovereign, far above marginal Olympian Hestia.Herodotus, Histories 4.59 (primary)
• father: CronusHesiod, Theogony 453–458 (primary)
• mother: RheaHesiod, Theogony 453–458 (primary)
• sibling: ZeusHes. Theog. 453-457 (primary)
• sibling: HeraHes. Theog. 453-457 (primary)
• counterpart of: VestaLatin mythographic counterpart of the Greek record; identities and accounts remain distinct.Hyginus, Fabulae, Preface; Hesiod, Theogony 453–458, 912–939 (primary)
• counterpart of: HestiaTradition-specific counterpart; this link does not transfer parentage.Orphic Hymns 83 (Taylor; modern 84) (primary)

Sources

• existence: Hesiod, Theogony 453 (primary)