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The legends and stories of ancient Greece still capture the imagination today, and most people still recognise the names of the gods and goddesses of Greek mythology. Indeed ask most people today and they will be able to tell you who Zeus, Poseidon or Hades are, and in fact most of the major deities of Greece can easily be named. There is though one major exception to this though and that is the Greek goddess Hestia. Hestia, who despite being one of originating Olympian goddesses, plays only a minor role in the tales as retold by countless generations, and is a name that has either been forgotten or never even known by most people.

Hestia was the eldest daughter of Cronus and Rhea, Cronus being the leading Titan, and supreme ruler of the world, although she is also often known as the youngest. Cronus lived in fear of a prophecy that stated that his own offspring would someday overthrow him. To prevent this from happening Cronus swallowed each of his offspring after Rhea had given birth to them. Hestia, Poseidon, Hades, Hera and Demeter, therefore all found themselves prisoners in the stomach of their father. Zeus was the only one of the six siblings to escape this fate, Zeus being smuggled away to Crete to grow in to adulthood.

Once Zeus was strong enough he hatched a plan to rescue his siblings and to lead a revolt against his father. To this end he was helped by Rhea, who provided Cronus with a potion which regurgitated Hestia and the rest of her siblings. Hestia was the last to be regurgitated thus she was the last "born". The revolt that followed turned into the Titanomachy, the war against the rule of the Titans. Although Hestia and her sisters, Hera and Demeter, sided with Zeus there is little told about the role the played in the war. Certainly Hestia did not receive any of the weapons as invented by the Cyclopes so played little in the actual battles that comprised the Titanomachy.

Ultimately of course Zeus and his siblings were victorious over the Titans, and as a result they defeated were in the main imprisoned in Tartarus. Hestia then joined Zeus, Hera, and Demeter on Mount Olympus, Poseidon and Hades taking control of their own domains.

The original six Olympians were then expanded to make up the more traditional twelve Olympians. Even from this early role though, Hestia was hardly the most prominent of deities. Hestia though became the goddess of the hearth and the home.

Hestia's life was serene and she played little role in the adventures of other

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