In Greek mythology, Hestia was traditionally the eldest daughter of Cronus and Rhea.
Hestia was the goddess of the hearth, domestic life, family, and civic household. Because the hearth was central to cooking, warmth, sacrifice, and family identity, her worship was connected with both private homes and public communities. The sacred fire of a city could represent its continuity.
Hestia was one of the original twelve Olympians in many lists, but later traditions sometimes replace her with Dionysus. This variation explains why different sources give different counts or names for the Olympian group. Hestia is also described as one of the three virgin goddesses, alongside Athena and Artemis.
According to myth, Hestia gave up her seat among the twelve Olympians so Dionysus could join them. Her Roman equivalent was Vesta. Roman state religion preserved a particularly important form of her hearth worship through the Vestal Virgins.