Vesta is an Old World deity of the home and hearth, represented by a sacred flame. She was one of the most important deities to the ancient Romans, although her flame spread to other places and peoples.
Her eternal fire was kept burning in her temple by the Vestals, a powerful and revered order of priestesses. People privately honored Vesta by burning her flame in their homes, nourishing it with offerings of salted flour or libations of wine.