HERA
"Her anger rose against the women who had given children to Zeus, especially Leto, the only one who had, with him, brought into the world a son more beloved than Ares. From high in the ether, in her violent, inexpressible ire, she watched out for her and closed off every refuge to Leto, who was torn apart by pain. She had two sentries watching over the earth: one guarded the continent...the other guarded the vast islands."
Callimachus,
Hymn to Delos
HERA
Daughter of Cronus and Rhea
Wife of Zeus
Mother of Ares and Hephaestos
Goddess of Marriage
Goddess of Childbirth
Queen of the Gods
Only married woman god
Hera was the Goddess of marriage and childbirth. She was the wife of Zeus, the god of all. She was very beautiful, but she could also be very cruel. She was known for her strong jealousy of all her husband’s other wives and mistresses.
MARRIAGE
Hera had rejected all of Zeus’s previous advances. Zeus, determined to win her over, transformed himself into a ragged cuckoo, soaked wet from a sudden thunderstorm. Hera, believing it was an actual bird, had pity for the creature and held it in her bosom to warm and protect it. Zeus then returned to his original form and out of shame, Hera agreed to marry him. The wedding was enormous and grand. Myths tell us that the celebration was so joyful, it lasted for a full 300 years.
CHILDREN
Many strange myths revolve around the children of Hera and Zeus. Some believe that Hera conceived Ares when she touched a flower and that Hephaestos when she was enraged in anger by Zeus.
When Hephaestos was born, Hera was disgusted by his looks and threw him off of Mount Olympus. He fell for an entire day until, at last, he hit the water and was carried away by the surf to the island of Lemnos. Later when he grew up, he returned to Olympus to claim his throne.
REVOLT
Hera was known for her great cruelty. Once, she even convinced the other Olympians to revolt against her husband. Hera drugged him until he passed out, and then the rest of the Olympians and her tied him up. The plan was successful except for one aspect: who would rule in place of Zeus? As they quarreled, the Nereid Thetis knew that an Olympian civil war would be bound to break out so she sent the one-hundred armed creature, Briareus, to Zeus’s rescue. The creature quickly untied Zeus and he sprang up and grabbed his thunderbolt. Before they knew it, the Olympians were pleading for mercy from Zeus. As her punishment, Hera was hung from the sky in golden chains. To make her punishment more severe, he hung heavy anvils from her ankles to weigh her down. There she hung for four days and nights.
PUNISHMENT
Zeus was not a very loyal husband, and Hera was extremely brutal with her revenges. Known to hunt down every last one of Zeus’s lovers, Hera was feared by all husbands for she was also the protector of married women. Her many victims of rage lived in fear for most part of their lives. Hercules (aka Heracles), was always a primary target for Hera because he was the son of Zeus with a moral. Dionysus, the God of Wine and one of the throne holders on Mt. Olympus, and his mother Semele were also tormented by Hera. She had the greatest hate for Leto, the mother of the gods Artemis and Apollo, for Apollo was Zeus’s favorite son; more favored that Hera’s beloved Ares. Hera killed the six children of Lamia in a fit, and the poor soul Echo, lost her will of speaking. She could only repeat what she had just heard. Io, who was harassed by Hera, and Calisto, who was changed into a bear.
APPEARANCE:
Hera was always symbolized as a mature and majestic woman. She is credited with a broad forehead, and round, bold, beautiful eyes. She wore a crown atop her head, and a veil that symbolizes her as the bride of Zeus.
**Zeus**
**Ares**
**Poseidon**
**Hades**
**Athena**
**Apollo**
**Artemis**
**Dionysus**
**Aphrodite**
**Hephaestus**
**Hermes**
**Demeter**
**Hestia**
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