Vesta (Hestia in Greek) is the goddess of the hearth and home. The Vestal Virgins were Vesta's priestesses and they kept the fire burning in her temple. Vesta's parents were Saturn and Cybele, and her siblings were Jupiter, Neptune, Pluto, Juno, and Ceres. She was originally worshipped only by a small cult at home, but her small cult grew into a state cult and she became widely worshipped (Lindemans). Her sacred animal is the ass.

In statues, Vesta wears a long dress and a scarf to cover her head. She holds a scepter in her left hand and her right hand rests on her leg (Lindemans).

Vesta had a large role in Roman religion, particularly relating to matters of state or public ceremonies. At such ceremonies, Vesta was often prayed to. She had a temple on the Roman forum. Her temple was circular and held many sacred things, including the phallus that averted evil (Oxford Classical). In this temple, a fire for the Roman state was always burning, kept alive by the Vestal Virgins. On March 1, the start of a new year for the Romans, the fire was renewed (Lindemans).

Vesta's festival was the Vestalia, from June 7 to June 15. During this festival, the inside of her temple was opened for women to come, barefooted, and make offerings. Normally, only the Vestal Virgins were allowed in this inner sanctuary. At the end of the Vestalia, the temple was cleaned (Lindemans).