Hecate was the Greek goddess of witchcraft associated with the underworld.
Hecate’s powers extended across magic, night, crossroads, ghosts, necromancy, and the boundaries between life and death. Because she governed these liminal spaces, Greek and later Roman traditions treated her as a chthonic, or underworld-connected, deity. She was often shown carrying torches or keys—symbols of guiding travelers and unlocking passages between realms.
In the Homeric Hymn to Demeter, Hecate helps Demeter search for the abducted Persephone. She later becomes Persephone’s companion during her yearly journeys between the worlds. This connection helped strengthen Hecate’s role in the Eleusinian religious tradition.
Hecate is sometimes confused with Artemis because both could be linked with the moon, dogs, and a youthful female form. They were separate goddesses, however. Hecate’s later reputation as a patron of witches became especially prominent in Roman-era literature, centuries after her earliest appearance in Hesiod’s Theogony.