Sasha Summers

So far we’ve covered Athena, Demeter, Aphrodite, and Hera. Persephone was also mentioned – but other than being Demeter’s daughter and Hades wife, she’s not a big player. Unless we’re talking about my take on her story, that is

Moving along:

Artemis is the Goddess of the Hunt and Archery. She is like the Game Warden of her times, managing the population and welfare of the animals. She is often depicted with deer or hunting dogs. Like Athena and Hestia, remained a virgin – demanding that her followers did the same. If one of her attendants broke their vow of chastity, even unwillingly, Artemis would punish them. A bit of a wild child, she had an unforgiving sense of justice.  She is the eldest twin sister of Apollo and played a part in several vengeance themed stories.

Hestia was one of the original Olympian gods. She was the Goddess of the Hearth, an embodied compassion, generosity and virtue.

Where Artemis and Athena enjoyed their freedom, Hestia preferred to stay out of the way - rarely leaving Olympus. She loved peace so  much, she never took a suitor or husband. When both Apollo and Poseidon set to woo her, she refused them both and declared a vow of chastity to avoid any rivalry. Her temple was built in Rome, the Temple of Vesta. Selected and honored at a very young age, a priestess greatest crime was to break her vow of chastity. If she did, she was buried alive. Once the grave was sealed up, it was smoothed over and unmarked so none would know it was a grave. Since the priestess would not have been buried properly,the woman/priestess was denied access to the Underworld and roamed the world for all eternity.