Hera
Hera is the Greek goddess of marriage and queen of the gods, married to Zeus. Her stories often concern broken promises, threats to her authority, and her anger at Zeus’s lovers and children. She also acts as a powerful protector of chosen heroes and cities.
Key stories of Hera
Hera helps the Greeks at Troy
Hera supports the Greeks against Troy. At a crucial point in the fighting, she distracts Zeus so that Poseidon can help the Greek army.
In The Iliad, Hera borrows Aphrodite’s power of attraction and secures Sleep’s help before approaching Zeus. While Zeus sleeps, Poseidon encourages the Greeks.
In The Iliad by Homer
Hera delays Heracles’ birth
Hera turns Zeus’s promise about a coming royal birth against him. She delays Heracles’ arrival and brings forward the birth of Eurystheus, who gains authority over him.
In The Iliad, Agamemnon recalls how Hera deceived Zeus over the births of Heracles and Eurystheus. He uses the story to explain how even a powerful ruler can be led into error.
In The Iliad by Homer
Hera and Io
In the most common version, Zeus changes Io into a cow to hide their relationship from Hera. Hera demands the animal and places her under the watch of many-eyed Argus.
In Metamorphoses, Ovid tells this story using the Roman names Jupiter and Juno. After Mercury kills Argus, Juno places his eyes on the peacock’s tail.
In Metamorphoses by Ovid
How to recognise Hera in stories
- Look for a queenly goddess linked with marriage, crowns, or peacocks.
- Notice conflicts over Zeus’s affairs and the children born from them.
- Watch for a powerful divine ally of the Greeks against Troy.
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Are Hera and Juno the same goddess?
Juno is Hera’s Roman counterpart, though their religious roles are not identical. Roman writers often retell Greek stories using Juno for Hera and Jupiter for Zeus. In The Aeneid, Juno opposes the Trojans and tries to delay Aeneas’s settlement in Italy.
Is Hera always a villain?
No, Hera is not always a villain. She can be cruel to Zeus’s lovers and children, but she also protects marriage and supports favoured heroes. In The Iliad, she is a determined ally of the Greeks, though her help serves her own loyalties.
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