Rome into one family. In her temples, the sacred fire was tended by
the Vestal Virgins, who were required to embody the virginity and
anonymity of the goddess. In a sense, they were human representa-
tions of the goddess; they were living images of Hestia, transcending
sculpture or painting.
The girls chosen to be Vestal Virgins were taken into the temple
when they were quite young, usually not yet six years old. Garbed
alike, their hair shorn as new initiates, whatever was distinct and
individual about them was submerged. They were set apart from
other people, honored, and expected to live like Hestia—with dire
consequences if they did not remain virgins.
A Vestal Virgin who had sexual relations with a man had desec-
rated the goddess. In punishment, she would be buried alive, en-
tombed in a small, airless underground room with light, oil, food,
and a place to sleep. The earth above it would then be leveled off,
as if nothing were there. Thus a Vestal Virgin’s life as an embodiment
of Hestia’s sacred flame was snuffed out when she ceased to person-
ify the goddess—covered over with earth as one might extinguish
smoldering coals on a hearth.
Hestia was often paired with Hermes, the Messenger God, known
to the Romans as Mercury. He was an eloquent and crafty deity, the
protector and guide of travelers, god of speech, and patron of busi-
nessmen and thieves. His early representation was a pillarlike stone
called a “herm.” In households, the round hearth of Hestia was inside
while the phallic pillar of Hermes was at the threshold. Hestia’s fire
provided warmth and sanctified the home, while Hermes stood at
the door to bring fertility in and keep evil out. In temples, these
deities were also linked. In Rome, for example, the shrine of Mercury
stood on the right of the steps leading to the temple of Vesta.
Thus in households and temples Hestia and Hermes were related,
but separated. Each served a separate, valued function. Hestia
provided the sanctuary where people bonded together into the
family—the place to come home to. Hermes was the protector at the
door, and the guide and companion in the world—where commu-
nication, knowing one’s way around, being clever and having good
luck all make a difference.
Hestia: I Goddess of the Hearth and Temple, Wise Woman and