Hera | Characteristics, Family, & Worship

Highlights of Hera:

Greek mythology’s Twelve Olympians include the goddess Hera. Hera was revered as the ruler of Mount Olympus since she was the wife of Zeus. The goddess of women, marriage, and childbirth is how she is most frequently identified.

What was Hera typically depicted as?

Hera was frequently depicted with long flowing robes, a crown, and a lotus scepter in her hand. She was occasionally depicted seated on a throne or driving a chariot pulled by peacocks.

What abilities and talents did she possess?

Hera was regarded as an extremely strong deity and the Queen of Olympus. Greek women prayed to Hera for help with their marriages, health, and protection during childbirth. She also had control over the weather, and she could either bring the people bright sky or bring them storms.

Birth of Hera

Cronus and Rhea, the ruler and queen of the Titans, were the parents of Hera. Hera’s father Cronus swallowed her when she was born out of fear that they would one day overthrow him. Zeus, Hera’s younger brother, ultimately came to her rescue.

Queen of Mount Olympus

Zeus, Hera’s brother and the supreme ruler of the gods on Mount Olympus, courted Hera. Zeus fooled her into marrying him by posing as an injured cuckoo bird when she initially showed no interest. The cuckoo bird was saved by Hera, who later wed Zeus.

Revenge on Zeus

Hera was a bitter and envious wife. She wanted Zeus to be hers alone, but he was always having affairs with both mortal women and other goddesses. Hera frequently exacted her vengeance on the women who Zeus adored and the offspring they shared with him.

Heracles

The tale of the hero Heracles, who was the child of Zeus and the mortal woman Alcmene, serves as one illustration of Hera’s vengeance. Hera sent two serpents to Heracles’ bed when he was a newborn in an attempt to kill him, but Heracles killed the serpents and the plan was foiled. Later, she drove Heracles insane, leading him to murder his wife and kids. Heracles was made to do the Twelve Labors as a sort of retribution for the murder of his family. Hera deliberately made Heracles’ labors onerous in the hopes that he would perish.

Facts Worth Knowing About the Greek Goddess Hera

Hera joined the Greek side during the Trojan War since Trojan Prince Paris deemed Aphrodite to be more attractive than her.

She served as Argos’ protector goddess.

Hephaestus, Hera’s own son, is exiled from Mount Olympus in one tale because he is unsightly and malformed.

Hera has also been referred to as “goat-eater,” “cow-eyed,” and “white-armed.”

One of the rare Greek gods or goddesses that stuck by her spouse was her.

Callisto, Semele, Io, and Lamia were a few of the female deities and women who suffered as a result of Hera’s vengeance.

It was the duty of a nymph by the name of Echo to divert Hera’s attention from Zeus’ business. The contemporary word “echo” originates from Hera, who cursed Echo into merely repeating the last few words that others had said to her when she learned what she was doing.