by Heather Lyon

Created on: April 07, 2008   Last Updated: June 08, 2008

Hera is the queen of the Gods and the wife of Zeus (as well as his sister). She is the matron Goddess presiding over the family, hearth, and home. She also presides or blesses marriage and weddings which is why June or Juno's (Hera's Roman name) month is a popular time to get married.

Hera was a catalyst for many of the most interesting episodes in Greek mythology. Hera was a very jealous wife and Zeus was quite the womanizer. This gave Hera many occasions to practice her revenge on the poor girls who could not resist Zeus's advances or were tricked into trysting with him.

Her most famous cases of revenge include the trials of Hercules and tale of Callisto. Hercules was born to Alcmene who was impregnated by Zeus. Hera, jealous of the child, tried to kill Hercules in his crib by sending snakes to kill him. But the infant Hercules strangled the snakes in his crib. Later in Hercules life, Hera uses her power to afflict Hercules with madness which causes him to murder his wife and three children. Ashamed of what he has done Hercules travels to the Oracle at Delphi to ask what he can do in order to make restitution. He was assigned to do ten labors for King Eurystheus at Mycenae whom Hercules hated because the King had stolen his birthright. He ended up doing twelve labors because he was supposed to do each labor for free and without any help. He receives help in killing the Hydra and is paid for cleaning the Augean stables in a single day. Therefore, he had to do two extra labors to make up for these two. Throughout the completion of his labors, Hera made each labor more difficult. An example of this was while Hercules was fighting the Hydra; Hera sent crabs to bite his feet.

Callisto, a nymph of Artemis, was another female that fell pray to Zeus's womanizing ways. When it was discovered that she was with child, Artemis (the virgin Goddess) cast her out of her circle which allowed Hera to take her revenge by turning Callisto into a bear. Callisto does give birth to a human son. Unfortunately, Callisto's son nearly kills her sixteen year later when he is out hunting. Zeus stops the boy just in time and feeling sorry for the mother and child he places them in the stars creating the big and little dipper (or big bear and little bear as they are sometimes called).

Hera is also responsible for the transformation of Echo. Echo was a nymph that distracted Hera from Zeus's infidelities by flattering her and leading her away from Zeus's trysts. When Hera realized what Echo was doing, she condemned Echo to only repeat the words of others as punishment for deceiving her.

In spite of all Zeus's catting around, Hera did have children of her own with him which included: Ares (God of War), Hebe (Goddess of Youth), Eris (Goddess of discord) and Eileithyia (Goddess of childbirth). She also had a son spontaneously (with no father) called Hephaestus, but he was so ugly that Zeus threw him from Mount Olympus.

Hera was an intriguing Goddess who would not be cuckolded by her husband. She gets her revenge and was quite a force to reckon with. This makes her an example of a strong woman in Greek mythology.

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