Vesta

 

(vĕs'tə) , in astronomy, fourth asteroid to be discovered. It was found in 1807 by H. Olbers. It is the third largest asteroid, with a diameter of c.326 mi (525 km). Its average distance from the sun is 2.36 astronomical units, and the period of its orbit is 1,325 days. Vesta is the only asteroid that can be seen with the naked eye; it can be seen only when it is in the right position in the sky relative to the earth and sun, namely, when it is at opposition and perihelion simultaneously.

Vesta is geologically different from the other large asteroids. Images taken by the Hubble Space Telescope show a basaltic surface indicative of ancient lava flows originating from a molten interior and a giant crater, about 285 mi (460 km) across and 8 mi (13 km) deep, that may go all the way through the crust to expose the mantle. The crater is thought to have resulted from a collision with another celestial body, the impact tearing out large chunks of Vesta that formed a distinctive class of small asteroids, some of which have reached earth as meteorites. Alternatively, they all may have originated from the breakup of a large parent body early in the history of the solar system. These hypotheses were made more credible in 1999 when the space probe Deep Space 1 spectroscopically analyzed the small asteroid Braille and found it to be akin in composition to Vesta.

Vesta, in Roman religion and mythology, hearth goddess. She was highly honored in every household from early times to the beginning of Christianity. Her public cult maintained a sacred building in which her priestesses, the vestal virgins, tended the communal hearth and fire, which was never allowed to die out. Vesta was identified with the Greek Hestia.

Vesta was the virgin goddess of the hearth, home, and family in Roman mythology. Though she is often mistaken as analogous to Hestia in Greek mythology; she had a large, albeit mysterious role in Roman religion long before she appeared in Greece. Vesta was much more important to the Romans than Hestia was to the Greeks. Little is known about the goddess, as unlike other Roman deities, she had no distinct personality, was never depicted and went without mention in myths. Vesta's presence was symbolized by the sacred fire that burned at her hearth and temples.

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As goddess of the hearth, she was also the symbol of the home, around which a newborn child must be carried before it could be received into the family. Every meal began and ended with an offering to her:

Vesta, in all dwellings of men and immortals

Yours is the highest honor, the sweet wine offered

First and last at the feast, poured out to you duly.

Never without you can gods or mortals hold banquet.

Every Roman city had a public hearth sacred to Vesta, with a fire that was never allowed to go out. If a new colony was to be established, the coals from the main city's hearth were taken with the colonists so that a fire could be kindled on the new city's hearth.

Vestales

Vesta's fire was guarded at her Temples by her priestesses, the Vestales. Every March 1 the fire was eaten. It burned until 391, when the Emperor Theodosius I forbade public pagan worship. One of the Vestales mentioned in mythology was Rhea Silvia, who with the God Mars conceived Romulus and Remus (see founding of Rome).

The Vestales were one of the few full time clergy positions in Roman religion. They were drawn from the patrician class and had to observe absolute chastity for 30 years. It was from this that the Vestales were named the Vestal virgins. They could not show excessive care of their person, and they must not let the fire go out. The Vestal Virgins lived together in a house near the Forum (Atrium Vestae), supervised by the Pontifex Maximus. On becoming a priestess, a Vestal Virgin was legally emancipated from her father's authority and swore a vow of chastity for 30 years. This vow was so sacred that if it were broken, the Vestal was buried alive in the Campus Sceleris ('Field of Wickedness'). It is likely that this is what happened to Rhea Silvia.

Vestalia

Vesta was celebrated at the Vestalia which took place from June 7 to June 15. On the first day of the festivities the penus Vestae (the curtained sanctum sanctorum of her temple) was opened, for the only time during the year, for women to offer sacrifices in. Such sacrifices included the removal of an unborn calf from a pregnant cow.

Household Worship of Vesta

Vesta was the goddess of the hearth at the centre of atrium and home. It was in the house and home that Vesta was most important as she was the goddess of the hearth and of fire. Vesta was particularly important to women of the household as the hearth was the place where food was prepared and next to it the meal was eaten with offerings being thrown into the fire to seek omens (the future) from the way it burned. Her weakness was that she couldn't fall in love.

References

• Hamilton, Edith (1942). Mythology. Little, Brown and Company. ISBN 0-316-34114-2. 

See also

• Roman religion: Roman festivals, Roman mythology, Founding of Rome, Hestia, Caca, Juturna, Vestal Virgin, Similarities between Roman, Greek, and Etruscan mythologies
• Other: Rhea Silvia, Romanian mythology, Pontifex Maximus, List of deities, Amulius
• The asteroid 4 Vesta

Roman mythology series
Major deities	Apollo · Ceres · Diana · Divus Augustus · Fortuna · Divus Julius · Juno · Jupiter · Lares · Mars · Mercury · Minerva · Neptune · Pluto · Quirinus · Sol · Venus · Vesta · Vulcan

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