Hestia was the oldest daughter of Cronus and Rhea and one of the twelve Olympian gods. The word 'hestia' in Greek means the heart, the place in the house where the fire was maintained. So, Hestia was the goddess of the heart. She was venerated in the households and in the temples. In ancient Greece, the cult of the heart was cherished in every house. That was the place where family gathered. The father of the family used to play the role of the goddess' priest. Also, in every town there was a communal heart sacred to Hestia. The common heart of all Greece was symbolized by Hestia of Delphi.
There are almost no legends of Hestia. All that is known about her is that both Poseidon and Apollo tried to win her love. In order to stop them in their attentions, she vowed to Zeus she would remain a virgin forever. Zeus accepted her vow and granted her with special honours. According to some versions, Hestia later resigned her seat at the high table in favour of Dionysus, who then became one of the twelve great Olympian gods.
Although Hestia was venerated throughout Greece, she didn't have any temples. In the art, she was shown on several red figured vases, wearing a veil and holding a sceptre or flower, sometimes seated, sometimes standing, but always in a pose of immobility.