The Origins Of The Goddess Hestia
The Greek goddess Hestia was one of the first three ‘Great Goddesses’; the other two being Demeter, and Hera. Zeus, Poseidon, and Hades also of the first six Olympians, were her brothers. She is considered both the youngest, and the oldest child of Cronus and Rhea. Cronus was one of the giant Titans, and Rhea was the child of Gaia, the earth, and Uranus the sky. Cronus was one of Rhea’s Titan siblings, also a child of Gaia, and Uranus. When Rhea gave birth to her god and goddess children, Cronus, in fear of a prophecy that one day one of his children would usurp his throne, ate his own children, Hestia first because it was she who was born first. Cronus did not swallow Zeus, the youngest of them; Rhea had tricked Cronus into swallowing a enormous rock, disguised as the child Zeus in swaddling and blanket. The rock caused Cronus to vomit each of the children up, and when Hestia emerged last, she became the youngest sibling instead. After all his brothers and sisters were free, Zeus waged war on the Titans and won back Mount Olympus.
Rhea however, maintained her freedom, and was allowed to roam freely on Olympus, though she did not very often; instead whenever she did come, all the gods parted for her. Hestia has very, very few myths concerning her adventures. Even then she was known to never take part in the antics of the other gods, preferring instead to tend to the hearth on Mount Olympus. Hestia was originally listed as one of the Twelve Olympians; the principal gods of the Greek pantheon, residing on the very top of Olympus. However, later she gave up her own seat to the newcomer Dionysus. Because Hestia was the firstborn of Cronus and Rhea, before every sacrifice or ritual dedicated to any of the Olympian gods, there was first an offering to Hestia, each time. “Hestia comes first” is the phrase used in ancient Greek culture. Also, the last sacrifice is sometimes dedicated to Hestia as well, because she was also the last to be disgorged by Cronus.