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Articles from Britannica encyclopedias for elementary and high school students.
- Vesta - Student Encyclopedia (Ages 11 and up)
The goddess of the hearth in Roman religion and mythology was Vesta. She was identified with the Greek goddess Hestia. Because of the difficulty in lighting fires in ancient times, both public and private hearth fires burned continuously; thus, Vesta was assured of a prominent place in worship. As goddess of the hearth fire, she was also the patron deity of bakers. She was sometimes depicted with her favorite animal, the donkey, which bakers used to turn the millstone.