Hestia

**Hestia** is the Greek Goddess of the Hearth.

## **Background**

Hestia is a goddess of the first third generation of Greek gods. She was the eldest daughter of Rhea and Kronos, and sister to Zeus, Poseidon, Demeter, Hera, and Hades. Immediately after their birth, Kronos swallowed all his children, Hestia was the first who was swallowed, except the last and youngest, Zeus, who forced Kronos to disgorge his siblings and led them in a war against their father and the other Titans. As first to be devoured and the last to be yielded up again, Hestia was thus both the eldest and youngest daughter; this mythic inversion is found in the Homeric hymn to Aphrodite. Hestia rejects the marriage suits of Poseidon and Apollo, and swears herself to perpetual virginity. She thus rejects Aphrodite's values and becomes, to some extent, her chaste, domestic complementary, or antithesis. Aphrodite could not bend or ensnare her heart.

Zeus assigns Hestia a duty to feed and maintain the fires of the Olympian hearth with the fatty, combustible portions of animal sacrifices to the gods. Wherever food was cooked, or an offering was burnt, she thus had her share of honour; also, in all the temples of the gods she has a share of honour.

## **Personality**

Hestia was a complete pacifist and never resorts to violence. She stayed in her temples all day and simply maintained house-work she was not involved in many myths or adventures like the other gods.

Hestia's loving and caring demeanor may have allowed her to get overshadowed by her more wild and adventurous relatives but it is also what bequeathed her their unconditional love. Because Hestia was completely non-violent herself one didn't have to worry about angering her by disrespecting her.

## **Appearance**

Hestia appears as a woman wearing a long white toga and a veil that covers the top her head. Her hair is described as shortened, coloured red or orange which symbolizes her connection to the hearth. She is often seen holding a torch in her hand.

## **Known Powers and Abilities**

The precise limitations and extent of Hestia's powers are unknown, however she was considered on par with Zeus and the rest of her siblings and was venerated as the oldest of the six children so she may well have had the most raw power of all her siblings. Though after the Titanomachy, she has chosen to not use her powers for violence.

* **Super Strength** - As a goddess, Hestia is extremely powerful. Though has never used her strength since the Titanomachy, being the oldest of her siblings, she is much more physically powerful then them.
* **Super Stamina**- Hestia cannot tire, though she needs to consume ambrosia and nectar to maintain herself.
* **Immortality**- As a goddess, Hestia is immortal and is immune to aging and disease.
* **Nigh Invulnerability** - She is immune to all forms of death and trauma.
* **Nigh Indestructibility** - Her physical form can be harmed and damaged, but she cannot be truly destroyed.
* **Regeneration**- She can instantly heal any wound in a short period of time.
* **Pyrokinesis**- Hestia had omnipotent control of all fire everywhere. In the Titanomachy, it was said that Hestia had the power to create flames so hot that the Titan's themselves, who were known for their immense strength, were burned before Hestia's power.
* **Biokinesis**- Hestia could instantly mend and purify wounds even those inflicted by other gods. She tended to injured gods that were wounded in scuffles with each-other.
* **Apporting**- Hestia could teleport herself and any other gods on earth to the halls of Olympus. This was usually done when the god in question was either lost or too weak to make the journey themselves.
* **Power Negation**- Hestia's influence protected any human that entered one of her temples from the wrath of the gods, and none of the gods could use their powers in her presence on Olympus.
* **Shapeshifting**- Like all of her siblings, Hestia can shapeshift, however she has never demonstrated this power.
* **Telekinesis**- Hestia can use her mind to apply force to objects and other beings, in her case she does this defensively.

## **Weaknesses**

* **Other Deities** - Older gods such as the Titans or the Protogenoi could cause Hestia harm.
* **Divine Weaponry** - Weapons forged by a god could harm her.