Instructor's Notes for Classical Greek and Roman Mythology 101

Hera
*The oldest parts of her temple at Olympus appear to predate the surrounding temples, dating back to 1000 B.C.E.

Homer
*Calls her the eldest daughter of Kronos and Rhea, but Apollodorus and most other accounts list Hestia as eldest.

Homeric Hymns
*Say Hera was brought up by Oceanus and Tethys, but an Arcadian myth says she was brought up by Temenus, son of Pelasgus, and an Argive myth says she was brought up by the sisters of the river Asterion.

Sacred Places/Hera Teleia
*Hera was worshiped, honored, or said to be sacred in many cities, including Argos, Samos, Stymphalos, Sparta, Mycenae, Corinth, Sicyon, Olympia, Epidaurus, and others.
*Hera was said to be patron goddess of Argos.
*At Stymphalos and possibly in other locations Hera was worshiped in triple aspect, as maiden, as mother, and as crone.
*In most accounts she is worshiped as Hera Teleia, in her mother/wife/grown woman aspect.
*The cuckoo and the peacock were sacred to her.

Mt. Euboea
*Very famous temple at Mt. Euboea, located between Argos and Mycenae. It contained statues of the Charities and the Horae (Seasons), the bed of Hera (symbolic of the marriage bed, her chief domain), and a Trojan shield taken from battle by Menelaüs.
*Hera's statue held a pomegranate in one hand (symbol of fertility), and a sceptre in the other, topped with a cuckoo.

Argos
*Said to be patron goddess. Hera and Poseidon both wanted the city, and had a contest. He lost; piqued, he first dried up the rivers, then he caused a flood.

Hieros gamos
*'Hidden marriage': Hera's marriage to Zeus is kept secret for a period of time (300 years according to Callimachus) from Kronos and Rhea.
*Gaia gifts Hera with the tree (in some accounts a grove) which produces golden apples. These are guarded by the Hesperides, near where Atlas holds up the world.
* Homer/Homeric Hymns (8th century B.C.E.) do not give details of Hera's marriage. Callimachus wrote in the 3rd century B.C.E.
*After her marriage she is accorded equal reverence as Zeus. He listens to her advice, and he shares secrets with her, but in Homer/Homeric Hymns she is not nearly as powerful and is sometimes forced to obey.
*With Ovid and Hyginus (Fabulae), there is the resurgence of Hera as "Queen of Heaven."

Her Character According to Homer
*She is jealous, stubborn, argumentative, and was sometimes beaten by Zeus, other times punished in unique ways, including being hung from Olympus with hands chained, and anvil weights suspended from her feet.
*Hera was not above trickery to get her way though, even seducing Zeus at key moments to distract him from the doings of men.
*Used a chariot pulled by two horses to get around, and was usually attended on trips by Hebe and/or the Horae (Seasons).
*Sour at not being chosen most beautiful by the Trojan prince Paris, she steadfastly supported the Greeks during the Trojan War, although she was not so supportive of the wayward Odysseus as he tried to return home.

Paradox
*Hera was powerful enough to persuade Helios to hide in Oceanus on the day Patroclus dies, but later is wounded by Herakles' arrows during a battle.
Hephaestus
*When Zeus bore Athena alone, Hera either out of jealousy or in union with Zeus bore Hephaestus. When he was born he was flung from heaven; either he was born deformed and she threw him away in disgust, or he fell accidentally and was maimed in the fall.
*Usually he was said to be born deformed, and he retaliated by making a throne with invisible chains and sending it to her. She sat and was stuck until not only is Hephaestus welcomed back, but Dionysus must persuade Hephaestus to release her and return her dignity.

Charming...
*Hera was desired by Porphyrion, Ephialtes, and Ixion, but was never unfaithful.

Zeus' Mistresses
*Never fared well when Hera found out about the affair.
*Io, Hera's Argive priestess, was made to wander as a cow and was tormented by a gadfly.
*Callisto was turned into a bear.
*Hera tried to prevent Leto and Alcmene from giving birth by keeping Eileithyia away.
*She convinced Semele, mother of Dionysus, to force Zeus into showing himself in his full godly majesty, which burned her up.

Heraean Games
*According to Pausanias (2nd century A.D.), inaugurated by Hippodameia to honor Hera for getting Pelops as a husband.
*Contestants ran with loose hair and a single shoulder bared.
*Winners were rewarded with crowns made from wild olive and also received a portion of the cow which would be sacrificed to Hera.
*Predated the Olympic Games; celebrated every four years.
*Original race was said to be with 16 women; races afterwards are said to be supervised by 16 noble women, who also weave a special robe in honor of Hera every 4 years.

1. Tripp, Edward ed. The Meridian Handbook of Classical Mythology. New York: New American Library, 1974.

2. West, M. L. ed. Hesiod: Theogony. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1988.

3. The Perseus Project: www.perseus.tufts.edu