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The Olympian gods were very human in their emotions and behaviors. They too experienced jealousy, envy and were vengeful and were often more irrational and unpredictable than people. A particularly good example of this is the Queen of the Gods Hera, who was vindictive, vengeful and cunning. Her relationship with her husband the King of the Gods, Zeus was turbulent, to say the least.
The King of the Olympian deities was notorious for his many sexual relationships with humans and demi-gods and he . He had many numerous children with his lovers. Hera was constantly betrayed by her husband and he made to look foolish. Hera's hatred of Zeus was justified and she sought revenge against many of his lovers.
====Who is Hera?====
After Zeus destroyed the giants, Hera prayed to Gaia, the Earth Mother, for a son who would be the equal of Zeus. Gaia heard her prayers and enabled her to have a child on her own. Gaia told Hera to Cronus asked her to give him two eggs that had been smeared with his semen. Hera buried them and Typhoon a giant sea monster emerged from them. However, soon after is birth, Hera reconciled with Zeus the King of the Gods and told him about the monster. Later, Zeus battled Typhoon for control of the cosmos and he emerged victorious.<ref> Renehan, p. 113</ref> Zeus did not blame Hera and they continued to be married, even if it was not domestic bliss.
====Hera and Hercules====Hercules is one of the great greatest heroes of Greek mythology and . The tales of his Seven Labors were very popular in the Ancient World. This Hercules was a demi-god was and the son of Zeus and Alcmene, who . Alcmene was already married when Zeus impregnated her. Hera in nearly every account hated Hercules. Not only was she angered by Zeus’ betrayals’ but she feared that the child would eventually be the heir of the King of the Gods. In many stories, Hera hates him so much that she attempted to kill the infant, Hercules. She sent two snakes to kill the infant in his cradle, but the remarkable Hercules managed to kill the snakes. Alcemne was so worried about the wrath of Hera that she abandoned her infant son on a slope, which was a common form of infanticide in the Greek World. However, Athena, his half-sister Athena managed to save him and deceived Hera into thinking that he was dead. Later when Hercules reached manhood and began his labors, the Queen of the Gods did all in her considerable power to harm the son of Zeus. Later they were reconciled with the King of the Gods and Hercules married her daughter Hebe <ref>Powell, p. 89</ref>.
==Io ==Semele and HeraDionysus====Another one of the more prominent affairs of Zeus was had an affair with Io, who was ironically a priestess Semele the beautiful daughter of Hera. When the Goddess heard about this she was furiousCadmus, and she turned the unfortunate Io into a white cowTheban King. Now Hera knew Zeus disguised himself so that Zeus would transform the white heifer back into her old female form and continue the he could have an affairwith Semele. She had a 100 eyed giant Argos, to keep watch on Hera found out about the heifer affair and she decided to tell her if Zeus tried to change her back to have her human formrevenge. Zeus, She disguised herself as cunning as ever, sent Hermes a nurse and he lulled the 100 eyed monster tricked Zeus to sleep and killed it. Io show himself in the his true form of the white heifer escaped. The Queen of the Gods saw this and she sent a gadfly to torment the heiferSemele. Io in the form of the cow was driven half-mad by the gadfly<ref>Powell, p. 99</ref>. It was typical of the cruelty of Hera, who was shown in the myths to be given to fits of rage. Later when Hera had become reconciled to Zeus it seems that Io was When he turned back into her old his true form by Zeus. It is believed to have married a future King of Egypthis thunder and lightning killed Semele.
==Further Reading==Io and Hera====HansenAnother one of the more prominent affairs of Zeus was with Io, Randallwho was ironically a priestess of Hera. When the Goddess heard about this she was furious, and William Fshe turned the unfortunate Io into a white cow. Hansen. Handbook of classical mythologyNow Hera knew that Zeus would transform the white heifer back into her old female form and continue the affair. Abc-clioShe had a 100 eyed giant Argos, 2004to keep watch on the heifer and to tell her if Zeus tried to change her back to her human form.
Still, she had genuine feelings for her husband. Hera was worshipped in a society that believed in vengeance and its morality was very different from those from the Judaeo-Christian tradition. Hera's cruelty was legendary. However, this would not have shocked the Greeks. Nor would her hatred of Zeus' the lovers be seen as immoral but would have been deemed to be understandable. However, it must be remembered that while Hera often hated Zeus, because of his infidelities, they continued to live together in Olympus. ====Further Reading====Hansen, Randall, and William F. Hansen. [https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1576072266/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=1576072266&linkCode=as2&tag=dailyh0c-20&linkId=b36bb079c0b18dd10b2365b100d13a26 Handbook of classical mythology]. Abc-clio, 2004. Morford, Mark PO, and Robert J. Lenardon. [https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0190851643/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0190851643&linkCode=as2&tag=dailyh0c-20&linkId=b928c6051a566b381addfc3ad50fbaf2 Classical mythology]. Oxford University Press, USA, 1999. O'Brien, Joan V. [https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0847678083/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0847678083&linkCode=as2&tag=dailyh0c-20&linkId=881bc6b6ae4ff328c230c031651079e5 The Transformation of Hera: A study of ritual, hero, and the goddess in the Iliad]. Rowman & Littlefield, 1993. ====References====<references/> [[Category:Wikis]] [[Category:Myths and Gods]] [[Category: Ancient Greek Myths]]
