The myths associated with this goddess are rare.
In the Homeric Hymn to Aphrodite, Apollo and Poseidon pursue her with their attentions, but Hestia refuses their proposals and swears upon the Styx, touching Zeus’s head, to remain a virgin forever — just like Artemis and Athena. In return, Zeus grants her the privilege of being honored in every human home and in all temples. The myth was probably invented by the author to emphasize her main characteristics: Hestia is a virgin and unchanging goddess.
She is depicted on vases taking part in the procession of the gods during the wedding of Peleus and Thetis; a kylix portrays her on Olympus with the other gods, and another shows her alongside Aphrodite witnessing Heracles’ arrival on Olympus.
When Plato stages the procession of the Olympians in the Phaedrus, he specifies that Hestia is not part of it, because she remains permanently on Olympus.
Ovid mentions an attempt by Priapus to violate her honor (mentioned earlier under Attributes & Correspondences). One day, the gods gather for a rustic banquet. After eating and drinking well, everyone falls asleep. Hestia falls asleep apart from the others, lying in the grass. Priapus — a fertility god, ithyphallic, protector of gardens and flocks — sees her and is overcome with desire. He quietly approaches with the intention of assaulting her while she sleeps. Just as he is about to act, a donkey suddenly brays loudly, waking Hestia and all the guests. She cries out, the gods awaken, and Priapus is humiliated and driven away.
The “myth” according to which Hestia gave up her place among the Twelve Olympians to Dionysus is now widespread on the Internet and in some modern works, but strictly speaking, there is no clear ancient source recounting this story. The article by Fabienne S. Morgana explains that the idea mainly comes from Robert Graves’s 1955 book The Greek Myths. Graves recounts that Hestia, goddess of the hearth and domestic peace, voluntarily relinquished her Olympian throne to make room for Dionysus, god of wine, ecstasy, and theater, in order to prevent quarrels among the gods. Symbolically, the image works very well: Hestia represents the unmoving center of the hearth, while Dionysus embodies movement, intoxication, and transgression. However, the ancient texts cited by Graves — notably the Bibliotheca and the writings of Pausanias — never state that Hestia renounced her seat.
In reality, in ancient Greek religion there was no single fixed and universal list of the “Twelve Olympian Gods.” Depending on the city and the period, some groups included Dionysus, while others included Hestia. The story of an official transfer of the throne therefore appears to be a modern, poetic, and symbolic reconstruction rather than a genuine attested ancient myth. Nevertheless, the appeal of this story remains strong, because it contrasts two complementary forces of Greek culture: the stable and sacred hearth of Hestia versus the vital and chaotic impulse of Dionysus.
Although the myths provide us with some information about the goddess, I would like to remind you that they are above all stories, not literal truth. They are stories written by humans, for humans. We have therefore attributed human behaviors to divinities, and they should not be taken at face value.
