Hestia

"I am here because when all else fails, when all the other mighty gods have gone off to war, I am all that's left. Home. Hearth. I am the last Olympian."

- Hestia

Hestia (meaning "hearth" or "fireside") is the eldest child of Kronos and Rhea. She is the Greek virgin goddess of the hearth, home, the right ordering of domesticity, and family. She received the first offering at every sacrifice in the household. Her Roman counterpart is Vesta.

Birth and Rescue
Hestia was the eldest child of Kronos, the Titan King of Mount Othrys, and his sister-wife Rhea. At first, Kronos seemed willing to be a good father, and not to resemble Ouranos. However, the Titan King suddenly realized that Hestia was not a Titaness, but rather, a more powerful and beautiful immortal (a goddess). Kronos, fearing that Hestia might one day overpower him, quickly swallowed her whole, to the horror of Rhea.

Hestia, thus, spent her childhood undigested in her father's stomach along with her younger sisters (Demeter and Hera), and younger brothers (Hades and Poseidon), all of whom were also swallowed shortly after their birth. As a result, Kronos became known as "The Cannibal King." Rhea pleaded with Kronos to spare their children but with no success, since even Kronos' great love for Rhea was not enough to overpower his selfish and evil nature. However, Rhea soon gave birth to her final child, Zeus, who she secretly raised on Crete, far away from Mount Othrys. After growing up, Zeus successfully infiltrated Kronos' Palace on Mount Othrys as the Titan King's royal cup bearer. Hestia was finally released during the final drinking competition that Kronos had with his Titanic brothers and nephews. Zeus poured an extremely powerful emetic (made from nectar mixed with mustard) into Kronos' goblet, which caused the Titan King to disgorge all of the contents of his stomach, in reverse order of swallowing: first the boulder, then Poseidon, followed by Hades, Hera, Demeter, and, finally, Hestia. All five of them had been growing undigested in Kronos' stomach, being gods.

Zeus quickly introduced himself to his elder siblings, and all of them (including Hestia) quickly escaped Mount Othrys, before their Titanic uncles and cousins came to their senses. In Zeus' Cave, at the base of Mount Ida, Hestia happily reunited with her beloved mother Rhea, who tearfully embraced her. Shorlty thereafter, Hestia and the other gods accepted Zeus as their leader, and reached a unanimous consensus on declaring war against their tyrannical father. Hestia (being a kind and peaceful goddess) was the only one who initially objected, and suggested diplomacy, but was finally persuaded to agree with Zeus. However, since they still had no weapons, Hestia agreed to help Zeus release their Elder Cyclopes and Hekatonkheire uncles from Tartarus first.

Rescuing the Elder Cyclopes and Hekatonkheires
Hestia's brother Hades was very skilled in navigating under the earth, was able to lead them all into Tartarus (through a network of Underworld tunnels). There, imprisoned in the maximum-security zone, surrounded by huge bronze walls, and a lava moat, guarded fierce demons, were the Elder Cyclopes and Hekatonkheires. Their guardian, Kampê, was the most ferocious and fearsome monster in all of Tartarus, and even Zeus, Poseidon, and Hades initially shuddered with horror when they saw the infernal monster for the first time. However, the gods overcame their fear, and were able to sneak in. Zeus managed to talk to the Cyclopes Brontes, and convinced him to forge powerful weapons for him and his siblings behind Kampê's back. The three Elder Cyclopes forged three incredibly powerful weapons: the Master Bolt (for Zeus), the Trident (for Poseidon), and the Helm of Darkness (for Hades). With these new weapons, Zeus killed Kampê, and Poseidon shattered the chains of the Elder Cyclopes and Hekatonkheires, releasing them. Afterwards, Hades safely guided his siblings and uncles back out of Tartarus. In return, for their release, all six of Hestia' uncles agreed to fight on her side in the upcoming war with the Titans.

The First Titanomachy
Shortly after their return from Tartarus, Hestia and her siblings officially declared war on Kronos and the other Titans, which resulted in the terrifying 11-year-long Titanomachy. The Titans initially had the upper hand, since they were well-armed and much more experienced warriors. However, as the years of the War passed, the gods quickly became skilled warriors as well, and with the help of their new extremely powerful weapons, as well as the aid of the Elder Cyclopes and Hekatonkheires, the gods finally prevailed. While preparing for the final battle of the War, Hestia and her siblings ascended to Mount Olympus (the tallest mountain in Greece after Mount Orthys). During the final battle, Zeus used his Master Bolt to shear off the top of Mount Othrys, and hurl Kronos from his Black Throne, defeating the Titan King. Shortly thereafter, the gods invaded the ruins of Mount Orthys, and finally overwhelmed the remaining Titans.

In the aftermath of the battle, the Elder Cylopes chained up all of the defeated Titans, while the Hekatonkheires forced them to kneel before Zeus, Poseidon, and Hades. Zeus took his father's Scythe, and sliced Kronos into a thousand pieces, before casting him into Tartarus, along with the rest of his followers (except for General Atlas, who was forced to hold the Sky).

Becoming the Last Olympian
The gods chose Mount Olympus as their official residence, and the Elder Cyclopes build magnificent palaces there for them all. As a result, the gods started to call themselves the Olympians. Shortly thereafter, Hestia's brothers Zeus, Poseidon and Hades divided world between themselves: Hades received the Underworld, Poseidon seized the seas and oceans, and Zeus claimed the heavens as his domain, and became the King of Mount Olympus, and the Olympians.

As for Hestia herself, unlike her more prominent younger siblings, she was humble, and never sought power. Many years later, when Dionysus was accepted as one of the Twelve Olympians, Hestia even willingly gave up her throne to him, and took to constantly tending the Olympian sacred hearth. However, in Percy Jackson's Greek Gods, Hestia never had a throne and always kept to the hearth. Like her mother Rhea, Hestia was always very sweet and kind, which earned her the love of her entire family, and none of the gods could fight in her presence on Olympus. Also, during any of their massive family feuds, any Olympian could chose to take a break by sitting down next to the hearth with Hestia, whose presence alone was enough to calm anyone talking with her. Hestia was empathetic to all her siblings (even Hades) and their children, she consoled, healed, cheered, advised and supported every single god and goddess in on Olympus, and was the only Olympian to get along with every other Olympian (even Ares). However, unlike Rhea (who was the Titaness of Motherhood), Hestia never desired to marry or become a mother herself, and turned down both Poseidon and Apollo. However, shortly thereafter, Zeus (who greatly admired his sister) allowed Hestia to remain a an eternal virgin, and, along with Poseidon and Apollo, vowed to punish anyone who would ever attempt to woo her in the future. Hence, Hestia was able to retain her role as the goddess of the Hearth. She later even gave some sacred fire from the Olympian heart to the Titan Prometheus, who desired to give it to humans.

Incident with Priapus
While celebrating the anniversary of her children's victory over the Titans, Rhea organised a grandiose party on Mount Ida on Crete. All gods and neutral Titans were invited, as well as many nymphs and satyrs. Hestia, who rarely attended parties soon wandered out into the woods, and fell asleep. Priapus, a minor god of vegetation, spotted the beautiful goddess and wanted to take advantage of her. However, while he was approaching her, a donkey brayed out loudly. Hestia woke up screaming and ran away from Priapus. The feasting Olympians instantly ran to her side, and proceeded to harshly beat and berate Priapus, and never invited him to their divine partied ever again. After that unpleasant situation, Hestia declared that she was to be grateful and defined the donkey as her sacred animal.

The Lightning Thief
Hestia is first mentioned by Chiron to Percy while discussing the arguments between Zeus and Poseidon, and how she, along with their sisters, Demeter and Hera, could possibly calm them down.

When Percy Jackson first arrives, he mentions that he sees a young girl stoking next to the hearth. However, he didn't know that it was Hestia at the time.

The Last Olympian
Hestia first appears as an eight-year-old girl in Westport, Connecticut after Percy Jackson and Nico di Angelo meet Ms. Castellan. She tells Percy that in order to understand Luke Castellan, his enemy, he must first understand Luke's family. She gives Percy constant visions of Luke's upbringing as a way to gain insight as to what he has gone through and why he made the choices that he did. Hestia tells Percy that sometimes the hardest power to master is the power of yielding. She reminded Percy that when Dionysus was made a god she gave up her throne for him to avoid civil war among the gods.



Later during the Battle of Manhattan at Olympus, she helps Rachel Elizabeth Dare realize her destiny as the Oracle of Delphi. Hestia also reminds Percy that when all the other gods are away in the fight, hearth and home are what will always remain. Percy also entrusts her with Pandora's Pithos, which Prometheus had given him in order to tempt him into surrender. He claims that she should be its guardian because hope survives best at the hearth, and the Pithos does not continue to follow Percy relentlessly.

Later when Percy is fighting against Luke, who was possessed by Kronos, Backbiter is tossed into the hearth. When Kronos tried to retrieve it, Hestia appears in the fire and heats the scythe to such a degree that Kronos cannot retrieve it. Percy sees her image in the flames looking disapprovingly at her father. After Kronos is defeated and the war over, Percy returns to Camp Half-Blood and sees Hestia tending to the camp's hearth, mirroring the first time Percy saw her when he first arrived at camp. She winks at Percy, implying that she is content not being noticed, as long as some people do notice her once in a while.

Personality
Hestia appears to be of a calm and humble disposition, showing a higher degree of kindness than most other Olympians, gods who frequently take offense at the slightest provocation. She has a somewhat proudness to her quiet personality, and she is a very wise goddess and places priority maintaining peace and harmony amongst her family, the Olympians, by knowing when it is appropriate to give in. Having vowed to be a virgin forever, Hestia has no children and places value in chastity. Much like Artemis, she sometimes favors the form of a young girl most of the time, although she has been seen as a grown woman. She is very kind to Percy and Nico, as it is seen in the book, ''The Last Olympian. According to Percy Jackson's Greek Gods'', Hestia's personality is very similar to her mother Rhea's. However, in one regard, Hestia was quite different, since, unlike Rhea, she never desired to become a mother herself. Hestia was empathetic to all her siblings and their children, she consoled, healed, cheered, advised and supported every single god and goddess in the Greek pantheon and is the only Olympian god to get along with every other Olympian.

Appearance
Hestia is initially described as having long mousy-brown hair and "warm and cozy" eyes of red fire. She wears a simple brown dress or robes with a scarf wrapped around her head. Hestia is often seen with an iron staff that she uses to tend the hearth (as seen while tending the fire in The Lightning Thief). According to Percy Jackson's Greek Gods, while Hestia is not quite as beautiful as her sisters Demeter and Hera, she was attractive enough to enamor both Poseidon and Apollo. Hestia smelled like "smoke and roast marshmallows."

Sacred Animal
Hestia's sacred animal is the donkey after a party in Olympus.

Hestia was sleeping and Priapus wanted to take advantage of her. While he was coming to her bed, a donkey brayed out loudly. Hestia woke up screaming and ran away from Priapus. After that unpleasant situation, she declared that she was to be grateful and defined the donkey as her sacred animal.

Vesta
Hestia can change into her Roman counterpart, Vesta. As Vesta, she becomes more disciplined, militaristic, and warlike. In ancient times, the Vestal Virgins were maiden priestesses who maintained the sacred fire that was spread to every Roman household. As such, it is possible that the Vestals are the Roman counterpart of the Hunters, but were less aggressive and didn't fight. Hestia was envisioned by the Greeks as the gentle goddess of domesticity whereas Vesta was considered to be the stern guardian of the Roman state and home.

Abilities
Although Hestia claims to be the weakest Olympian, she is Kronos' eldest daughter, as well as the eldest Olympian overall, making her an extremely powerful goddess. Still, according to Percy Jackson's Greek Gods, Hestia is not quite as powerful as her more prominent younger siblings.
 * Pyrokinesis: As the goddess of the hearth, Hestia has absolute control over fire. According to Percy, the fire that Hestia tends to seems to glow "more richly red than a normal fire." In The Last Olympian, Hestia superheated Kronos' Scythe, to the point that it melted.
 * Hestia can show others events from the past and present that deal with family.
 * As the goddess of home and family, all things related to home and family relationships are under Hestia's power.
 * Hestia can summon delicious food, a power also exhibited by Hera. Percy says that her food tastes like the home-cooked meals everyone should have eaten while growing up.
 * Hestia is able to send people back to their own hearth, as she did with Percy and Nico in The Last Olympian.
 * Sanctuary: Hestia's influence protected any mortal that entered one of her temples from the wrath of the gods, and none of the gods could fight in her presence on Olympus.

Trivia

 * As revealed in Percy Jackson's Greek Gods, Hestia is the eldest child of Kronos and Rhea, and thus, the first swallowed by her father, after he realizes that she is not a Titan.
 * In Percy Jackson's Greek Gods, it is revealed that Hestia still recalls that terrifying moment of being swallowed by her father Kronos. This is part of the reason why she chooses to remain a virgin for all eternity.
 * According to Percy Jackson's Greek Gods, Hestia's personality is very similar to her mother Rhea's.
 * When asked to describe Hestia's cabin at camp, Rick Riordan said that she has no cabin because it just wasn't her style.
 * Hestia's favorite aunt is Themis, the Titaness of Divine Law and Justice.
 * As opposed to the twelve enthroned Olympians, Hestia does not seek attention or recognition, but exists contentedly at the hearth, the final guardian and place of solace one can turn to should they need her. Percy is of the opinion that she prefers to remain obscure.
 * Hestia would be the last Olympian if the thrones of the gods are destroyed, as she relinquished her own throne and seat of power to Dionysus. Her power is enshrined in her realm- the hearth and home.
 * She is one of the three virgin goddesses. The others are Athena (whose children are born through a meeting of minds, not bodies, as explained by Annabeth) and Artemis.
 * Vesta, the second largest object in the asteroid belt, is named after Hestia's Roman counterpart.
 * In The Lost Hero, Hera states "I am the goddess of family. My family has been divided for too long," which can be confusing as Hestia is considered the goddess of the family, center, and well-being.
 * Percy describes her to look like eight or nine years old when he first meets her, but she appears older during his first visit to Olympus in The Last Olympian.
 * The priestesses of her Roman counterpart Vesta were known as Vestal Virgins. Rhea Silvia, mother of Romulus and Remus was to become a Vestal Virgin, but wasn't able to due to her siring of Romulus and Remus by Ares (Mars).
 * 4 Vesta, is an asteroid named after her Roman counterpart, Vesta.
 * Vesta family, a group of asteroids, is named after her Roman counterpart.
 * 46 Hestia, a large, dark main-belt asteroid, is named after her.
 * In The Last Olympian, Hestia reveals that Nico was the first demigod to talk to her in ages.
 * She seems to really like Percy Jackson, usually helping him if he asks for it.
 * When Percy meets her, he remarks to himself about how similar her eyes are to Ares's eyes.
 * Hestia was the second of the Olympian gods and goddess' to meet Percy, but the last one to be identified as such (Percy met Dionysus in Chapter 5 of Lightning Thief and spotted Hestia in her nine year old form in chapter 6 but she wasn't identified until Last Olympian).
 * Hestia's name means "home and hearth" in Greek.
 * Hestia may very well be the eldest Olympian since it's never stated when Aphrodite arose from Ouranos' remains. She may not have arisen until after Zeus and his siblings (including Hestia) were fully grown, and had defeated the Titans. This would harmonize some myths which say Zeus adopted Aphrodite as his daughter.

Gallery
Hestia