As queen of the gods, Hera was often portrayed as majestic and solemn inmany of the stories. However,there was another side of her. Zeus wasn’t always faithful to her and her jealous, vengeful side is also part of her legacy.
Zeus and Hera had a complicated relationship. Zeus courted Hera extensively and later resorted to tricking her until she became his wife. Despite that, Zeus delighted in consorted with mortals, goddesses, and other creatures, which infuriated Hera.
Here is an overview of some of her most famous acts of jealousy and revenge:
Hercules was the son of Zeus and the mortal woman, Alkmene. When Hera learned of Hercules’ existence, she did what she could to make his life miserable. She caused him to go insane, which later led to the death of his wife and children.Although this act was the result of Hera’s jealous nature, Hercules was so guilt ridden, he performed his famous Twelve Labors as penance for what he had done.
Alkmene
The rivalry between Hera and Alkmene, Hercules’ mother, was also memorable. Although most of her wrath was actually focused on Hercules once he was born, Hera did what she could to make Alkemene’s pregnancy difficult. Hera also delayed Hercules’ birth so that his cousin would be the next in line for the throne at Tyrene.
Leto
Leto, who is also a goddess,had an affair with Zeus. As a result of this union, both Apollo and Artemis were born. When Hera learned that Leto was pregnant with Apollo, she cursed Leto to walk the earth for months before she finally settled in Delos to give birth.
Paris
Hera also showed her vengeful side during the Trojan War. As the legend has it, Hera never forgave Paris for choosing Aphrodite as the most beautiful of all the goddesses. Her schemes are thought to be one of the reasons why the fabled city ofTroy ultimately fell.
Echo
Another famous story that talked about Hera’s wrath involved Echo, a forest nymph. The nymphs were a favorite amongst Zeus and he often visited with them when he visited the earth. Hera suspected that Zeus was unfaithful to her with the nymphs and came to the earth to exact her revenge. She cursed Echo to only speak the last few words that were directly spoken to her.
Lo
Lo was another of Zeus’s extra marital love interests. When Hera found out that Zeus was interested in Lo, she proceeded to make her life miserable. Lo was a beautiful mortal who was the daughter of Inachus of Argo.Hera cursed her by turning her into a cow. When Lo was forced to leave her father’s house, she wandered until she reached Egypt, where the curse was lifted.
As you can see, Hera’s jealousy and vengeful nature shaped many of the most popular stories in all of Greek mythology.
One example of Hera's revenge is the story of the hero Heracles
Heracles
Hercules (/ˈhɜːrkjʊˌliːz/, US: /-kjə-/) is the Roman equivalent of the Greek divine hero Heracles, son of Jupiter and the mortal Alcmena. In classical mythology, Hercules is famous for his strength and for his numerous far-ranging adventures. Hercules. God of strength and heroes.
who was Zeus's son by the mortal woman Alcmene. Hera first tried to kill Heracles as a baby by sending two serpents to his bed, but this failed when Heracles killed the serpents. She later caused Heracles to go mad and kill his wife and children.
Zeus once seduced and abducted a girl by the name of Aegina, and he took her to the island of Oenone. Hera threw a snake into the source of water for the entire island, poisoning and killing most of the island to get revenge on one girl.
Hera constantly battled with her husband Zeus' infidelity and she often took swift revenge. Hera constantly battled with her husband's infidelity and she often took swift revenge. Leto was so punished through Hera promising to curse any land that gave the pregnant goddess refuge.
There are many stories about Hera's jealousy. She even killed (or tried to kill) many of Zeus' children that he had with other women, like the time she sent poisonous snakes into the cradle of a baby Hercules. There was also a time she tried to kill Apollo and Artemis before they were even born.
But he is more well-known by his Roman name, Hercules. But this was not enough to keep Hera calm. She sent two serpents to destroy Hercules as he lay in his cradle, but the talented little infant strangled them with his own hands.
Hera was the queen of the gods and the protector of women. She was the wife of Zeus, who was rampant with infidelity. As such, Hera contrived several jealous plots to get rid of Zeus's many mistresses and illegitimate children.
She attempted a coup on Olympus! Hera, frustrated for all her husband's infidelities and general tyranny, colluded with a number of other Olympians who felt similarly and attempted to overthrow her husband.
Ovid's Metamorphoses, Book III, relates that Echo offended the goddess Hera by keeping her in conversation, thus preventing her from spying on one of Zeus' amours. To punish Echo, Hera deprived her of speech, except for the ability to repeat the last words of another.
Jealousy and Vengeance: Perhaps the most well-known aspect of Hera's personality is her jealousy, particularly regarding Zeus's numerous affairs. This jealousy often leads to acts of vengeance against Zeus's consorts and their offspring.
In ancient Greek legend, Hera and Zeus had an unhappy marriage, with Zeus's wife often seeking revenge on her husband and his lovers for Zeus's many extramarital affairs.
Determined to make him suffer, Hera once again interfered in Hercules's life. Hera used her power to get inside Hercules's head. He fell into madness and went insane with rage. Under Hera's dark influence, he gruesomely murdered his beloved wife and children.
The name Herakles means "glorious gift of Hera" in Greek, and that got Hera angrier still. Then she tried to kill the baby by sending snakes into his crib.
Once when Zeus was being partcularly overbearing to the other gods, Hera convinced them to join in a revolt. Her part in the revolt was to drug Zeus, and in this she was successful. The gods then bound the sleeping Zeus to a couch taking care to tie many knots. This done they began to quarrel over the next step.
In an archaic story, Hephaestus gained revenge against Hera for rejecting him by making her a magical golden throne, which, when she sat on it, did not allow her to stand up again. The other gods begged Hephaestus to return to Olympus to let her go, but he refused, saying "I have no mother".
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As queen of the gods, Hera was often portrayed as majestic and solemn inmany of the stories. However,there was another side of her. Zeus wasn’t always faithful to her and her jealous, vengeful side is also part of her legacy.