Several millennia in a row, Greek myths amazed the human imagination. Fierce, whimsical and tireless, the Olympians inspired the world's foremost artists. Many are attracted by ancient stories today. The goddess Hestia is especially popular among women.
Family tree
The Pantheon of Greek Idols is a true family saga. Their life was full of scandals, intrigues, love twists and revenge. One of the few celestial beings who did not take part in conspiracies and disputes is Hestia, the patroness of the hearth.
According to ancient legend, the world arose from Chaos, which became the source of life. He gave birth to Gaia - the mother planet. She gave rise to all living things and created clouds, mountains and the sea. One of the sons was Uranus, who ruled the sky. They, along with Gaia, gave birth to many children. Each of the children was responsible for their part of the world. Envying the power of his offspring, the father closed them in the bowels of the earth. Gaia yearned for them for a long time, and then persuaded them to rebel against Uranus.
One of their sons, Kron (he was responsible for the all-consuming time), threw the god of Heaven off the throne and took the throne himself. But the new ruler was even more cruel than his predecessor. Realizing that his own children could also conspire against him, heordered his wife Rhea to bring to him all his heirs. One by one, he swallowed the babies. The goddess Hestia was among the victims.
Court Intrigues
But the wise wife Krona hid one son, whom Zeus named. While the baby was growing up, the world was ruled by an evil tyrant. As soon as the guy got stronger, he started a war with his father. First of all, he forced the cruel ruler to return his brothers and sisters. So the sisters of Zeus came into the world again: the goddess of the hearth, Hestia, Demeter, who was in charge of agriculture, and Hera, the guardian of marriage. The brothers of the rebel also came to life: Hades - the king of the dead, Poseidon - the lord of the seas.
New life
When this Olympic family came to power, people lived in chaos and blindness. They did not know how to get food for themselves, how to be treated, how to build dwellings, they did not adhere to any laws. Titan Prometheus, who once helped Zeus overcome Kron, stood out among other representatives of the pantheon with an extraordinary love for people. He taught them to read and write and told them how to work the land. But all his efforts would have been in vain without fire, which only the Olympians had.
Tacit collusion
Zeus did not want to teach the mind of people. Moreover, the ruler was determined to destroy the stupid race.
According to legend, the titan decided to steal the flame from heaven and give it to the peoples that inhabited the earth. The patroness of this phenomenon was the Greek goddess Hestia.
There are several versions of how Prometheus stole the spark. Several sources testify that the daredevil took the fire from the forge of Hephaestus. Another mythtells that the hero went to Olympus at a time when all the inhabitants of the sky gathered there. Cunning managed to get the desired titanium. He threw an apple at the end of the hall and said at the same time: "Let the best of the goddesses take it." All the women rushed for the fruit. A fight broke out among the beauties. The men watched in fascination and waited to see who would win. Meanwhile, Prometheus took the spark and went to the people.
The legend also notes that Hestia was aware of what the hero did. She stood out among other goddesses with wisdom and modesty, so she would never dare to declare herself as the first and best. Left to wait in a corner, she realized what Prometheus had planned, but decided not to stop him, because she herself felt sympathy for people.
For this trick, Zeus severely punished the titan. But no one guessed that the goddess Hestia could interfere with the hero. After people took possession of the fire, they became both body and soul equal to the heavenly rulers.
Respect for Olympians
A special place among other female idols was occupied by the patroness of fire in the pantheon. Sources testify that she was distinguished by exceptional beauty and a modest character. Many men claimed the heart of a young lady. Among them was Poseidon - the king of the seas and Apollo - the owner of light. But the maiden refused to each of the admirers.
Hestia decided to devote herself entirely to people, so she was not going to be distracted by love and marriage. But she protected the holiness of these feelings for other, earthly families. Having made a promise to remain chaste forever, shegained great respect among the Olympians. Other goddesses of ancient Greek mythology could not boast of such an act. Hestia received special respect from Zeus. For such a generous act, he settled her next to him.
Also, the king of Olympus decided that the sister deserves honor at any meeting to receive sacrifices first. Therefore, for a long time, all events began with prayers to this idol. Hestia also made sacrifices in all temples, regardless of who they were built in honor of.
Idol without altars
Very few legends and myths have survived to this day. The life of the patroness of the hearth is especially modestly conveyed. She, as befits an innocent maiden, did not take part in court intrigues, rebellions and conspiracies. She led a simple and modest life. That is why today few people know who the goddess Hestia is. The description of her appearance also did not reach our century. Due to the fact that she could be sacrificed not only in any temple, but also directly at home, no sanctuary was built for her. There were literally several altars where her power was modestly honored.
The sculptures of Hestia were not sculpted either. The Greeks believed that it was impossible to portray her, since the image is as fickle as the flames.
However, a few sculptures survived. One of them shows that the patroness is a slender woman in a long dress, tied with a belt. A cloak is thrown over the shoulders, and the head is covered with a scarf. Often the goddess Hestia held a lantern in her hands, as a sign of eternal fire. And to the wallsdonkey ears were attached to the lamp.
Symbol of purity
This tradition has deep roots and introduces another interesting myth. According to legend, one day a maiden fell asleep under a tree. Priapus passed by - the patron saint of fertility, fields and gardens. This demigod was returning from a holiday, so he was in a good mood and tipsy. Seeing a charming woman under a tree, he was inflamed with passion and decided to kiss Hestia, who was chaste.
A donkey was grazing nearby. When he saw what the stupid man was trying to do, he got very angry. After all, this woman is a goddess, and extremely kind and modest. The beast screamed so loudly that all the Olympians ran to the noise. And the frightened Priapus immediately fled.
From that day on, Hestia wears donkey ears on her lantern. Thus, she thanks the daredevil for not leaving her in trouble.
Cult of the Queen of Fire
The patroness was constantly in the shadow of her emotional and crazy relatives. She avoided a noisy lifestyle and devoted a lot of time to work. This image has become a unique symbol of purity and order. She was prayed for the preservation of the family. The queen of fire gave peace, harmony and peace in the house.
The ancient gods and goddesses rightly considered Hestia the best woman on Olympus.
The cult flourished in ancient Rome. There the girl was named Vesta. There were even unique groups where the girls in the temples had to maintain the sacred fire. If the flame went out, the people expected trouble. They are like themidol, kept virginity. By the age of thirty, these women lived at the expense of society and were considered honorable virgins. After the young ladies could get married. If the priestess met a person who was being led to execution, she could cancel the punishment. This decision was non-negotiable.
But the loss of virginity was punished by death. The guilty were buried alive in the grave. A man who dishonored a priestess was killed. But history shows that during the entire existence of the cult, this happened only a few times. The girls were true to their cause.
Now there is even a psychological term “woman-goddess Hestia”, which means that a person puts spiritual interests above carnal pleasure.
