Vesta was a goddess of the household in Roman mythology. The hearth was the center of family life in ancient Rome, and Vesta’s symbol was the fire in the hearth. Every Roman home had a shrine that honored Vesta and the household gods called the lares and the penates.
Vesta came to be identified with the Greek hearth goddess Hestia. As such, she was a daughter of Saturn, the god of fertility and planting, and Ops, the goddess of the plentiful harvest. In addition, Vesta was a sister of Jupiter, the king of the gods. In myths, she was portrayed as young and unmarried.
In addition to being worshiped by individual families, Vesta had an important public role as a protector of the city of Rome. This role may have originated during the early days of Rome, when a king ruled the city. Vesta safeguarded the welfare of the king’s hearth and household, a matter of concern to the entire community.
A temple honoring Vesta stood in the Forum of Rome. In the temple burned a perpetual sacred flame that symbolized the Roman belief in the eternity of the city. The flame was tended by six priestesses known as Vestal Virgins. The Romans considered it a great honor to be chosen to serve as a Vestal Virgin. The priestesses often had considerable power and influence in Roman political life.
