A.v. ἐφέστιος; ἑστίῃ is f.l.in Hes.Op.734) ; Boeot.ἱστία (Ἱ.) IG7.556 (Tanagra) ; also Coan, SIG1025.29, and Arc., ib.559.55 ; Locr. ἰστία IG9(1).334.7 ; both forms in Cretan, Ἑστία SIG527.15 (iii B. C.), Ἱστία GDI5079.7, al.:—hearth of a house, in Hom. only in solemn appeals, “ἴστω νῦν Ζεὺς πρῶτα θεῶν..ἱστίη τ᾽ Ὀδυσῆος” Od.14.159, al., cf. Hdt.4.68, S.El.881 ; καθῆσθαι παρ᾽ ἑστίᾳ, of suppliants, Pi.Fr.81 ; “ἐπὶ τὴν ἑστίαν καθίζεσθαι” Th.1.136 ; “ἡ δορύξενος ἑ.” S.OC 633 ; “ἑ. μεσόμφαλος” A.Ag.1056 ; “ἐν στέγῃ τις ἥμενος παρ᾽ ἑστίᾳ” Id.Fr. 362.3.
2. the house itself, home, Pi.O.1.11,P.11.13 : freq. in Trag., as A.Ch.264, etc.; “διξὰς ἱστίας οἴκεε” Hdt.5.40 ; καταλείποντα ἐν τᾷ ἰστίᾳ παῖδα ἡβάταν, of a colonist, IG9(1).334 (Locr., v B. C.) : metaph., of the last home, the grave, “τὰν χθόνιον ἑ. ἰδεῖν” S.OC1726 (lyr.).
3. household, family, οἱ πολλοί, πλὴν ὀγδώκοντα ἱστιέων κτλ., Hdt.1.176 ; “ἱστίη οὐδεμία νομιζομένη εἶναι Γλαύκου” Id.6.86.δ᾽.
4. altar, like ἐσχάρα, A.Th.275, Eu.282 ; “βούθυτος ἑ.” S.OC1495 (lyr.); γᾶς μεσσόμφαλος ἑ., of the Delphic shrine, E.Ion462 (lyr.); “Πυθόμαντις ἑ.” S. OT965 ; βωμός, ἑ. χθονός (as a sanctuary) A.Supp.372 (lyr.); ἡ κοινὴ ἑ. the public altar, serving as. a sanctuary to refugees, IG22.1029, Arist.Pol.1322b28 ; “πολιτικὴ ἑ.” App.Pun.84:—ἡ κοινὴ ἑ. also of the public table, “ἐδέξαντο τοὺς πρεσβευτὰς ἐπὶ τὴν κοινὴν ἑ.” Plb.29.5.6, cf. IG5(1).961 (Cotyrta), 7.21 (Orchomenus in Boeotia), Poll.9.40 ; μυηθεὶς ἀφ᾽ ἑστίας, of a class of public initiates at Eleusis, Is.Fr.84, cf.IG 2.1355, al. ; so “ὁ ἀφ᾽ ἑ. παῖς” Porph.Abst.4.5 ; simply “ὁ ἀφ᾽ ἑ., ἡ ἀφ᾽ ἑ., Ἐφ. Ἀρχ.” 1894.176,1885.146.
5. metaph., of places which are to a country as the hearth to a house, as a metropolis, Plb.5.58.4 ; “ἑ. καὶ μητρόπολις” D.S.4.19 ; of Delos, “ἱστίη ὦ νήσων” Call.Del.325:—Pythag., of the central fire of the universe, Philol.7, etc., cf. Alex.Aphr. in Metaph.38.23 ; of the earth, E.Fr.944 ; of the heart in the body, Arist.PA70a25 ; μίαν, ἰδίαν ἑ. ἤθους οὐκ ἔχειν, Plu.2.52a,97a ; of the liver as focus of a fever, Gal.15.742.
II. as pr. n. Ἑστία , Ion. Ἱστίη , Ἑστίη , h.Hom.24.1, v.l. in Hes.Th.454:—the hearthgoddess, h.Ven.22, Hes.Th.l.c., Pi.N.11.1, etc., cf. h.Hom.24,29, Orph.H.84, D.S.5.68 ; “Ἑ. βουλαία” IG12(5).732 (Andros), Aeschin. 2.45, App.Mith.23 ; Ἑ. “πρυτανεία” IG12(5).659 (Syros); worshipped as ἡ κοινὴ Ἑ. by the Getae, D.S.1.94, cf. Hdt.4.127 : prov., ἀφ᾽ Ἑστίας ἄρχεσθαι to begin from the beginning, Ar.V.846, Pl.Euthphr.3a ; “ἀπ᾽ ἄλλης Ἑ. καὶ ἀρχῆς τὰς πράξεις προχειρίζεσθαι” Str.1.1.16 (also “ἐξ ἑ. ἄρχεσθαι” Hsch.) ; ἡ Ἑ. γελᾷ, of the fire crackling, Arist.Mete.369a32.
3. title of a priestess, IG9(1).486 (Acarnania); ἑ. πόλεως, as an honorary title, ib.5(1).583 (Sparta). [ι_ in Od. in the appellat. 14.159, ι^ in h.Hom. in pr.n. ; in Hes. the reverse : ι^ always in Com.and Trag.] (Etymological connexion with Vesta is doubtful ; the dialects never have ϝ-, exc. in the pr. n. ϝιστίαυ (gen.sg.masc.)IG5(2).271.18 (Mantinea); cf. γιστία.）
