Hestia was the first-born of all the Greek Goddesses. She is the Goddess of the hearth flame and temple flame, and at every public or private ritual, the first offering was always made to her. Upon marrying, a new bride would carry fire from her mother's home to the new, symbolizing the Goddess's presence blessing her new family. Hestia is the symbol of the sanctity of home, of home as temple and refuge, and of the fire of life contained within each place that honors her. In Rome, she was known as Vesta, and her priestesses embodied the very heart of the city and were honored above all others. Her eternal flame, like Brigid's, has never truly died.