In 2020, because the world sheltered in place, many people suddenly discovered ourselves obsessed with kitchen life. However earlier than Martha Stewart and Ina Garten grew to become the domestic goddesses so many people look to for inspiration, there was an actual domestic goddess presiding over the heart of the house: Hestia. From sourdough starters to baking experiments, our ovens were working overtime as all of us adjusted to totally homebound lives.

Richard P. Martin, the Antony and Isabelle Raubitschek professor in classics at Stanford University, in an email interview. Considered a protector of the family and political community, Hestia performed an integral position in each non-public and public affairs and she continues to be celebrated as a queen of hospitality. Born to parents Kronus (generally spelled Cronus) and Rhea, Hestia was the sister of Zeus, Poseidon, Hades, Demeter and Hera. The Greek goddess of architecture, family, and the state, in addition to the hearth, home and household, Hestia presided over bread baking and meal prep, however, as Martin mentions, she also oversaw the sacrificial flame and received a share of every sacrifice to the gods.

The hearth was a big deal in the Greek home, representing the center of the household and symbolizing its heart and soul. Together with Athena and Artemis, Hestia is a virgin goddess. An excerpt from Homer’s “The Odyssey” illustrates the sanctitude of the hearth. It was thought-about such a sanctuary, Astera Sathorn even authorities could not cross it. Any time a brand new Greek colony was established, residents took fireplace from the hearth within the prytaneion (in any other case recognized as the town hall) and brought the flames back to their new locations. She remained celibate all through her lifetime, despite the ” amorous attentions” of gods like Apollo, Poseidon and the fertility god himself, Priapus. Along with cooking, the hearth was the setting for birth and demise ceremonies, and the place to introduce new brides.

In line with ancient Greek practices, young brides left their unique homes (the place they were beneath their father’s guardianship) to maneuver to their husband’s residence and ” cross into his management and guardianship.” Martin explains that due to Hestia’s central function as the heart of the home, she could not depart fairly so simply, so she was unable to get married at all. But don’t worry – as far as gruesome Greek myths go, this one has some semblance of a contented ending (for the children no less than). Rumor had it that not abiding by those societal expectations meant going through devastating consequences. Hestia’s dad, Kronos, had one thing of a strange complicated about his legacy: He feared his kids would dethrone them, so, nicely, he ate them. In accordance with Martin, the significance of virginity in historical occasions is crystal clear within the case of the Vestals. Hestia’s Roman equal is Vesta, which in accordance with Martin, makes perfect sense.