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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 had many 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.

The King of the Olympian deities was notorious for his many sexual relationships with humans and demi-gods. He had 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.  ====The story of Who is Hera?====Hera was possibly worshipped in Greece from early times and many , but scholars believe that she even may have had oriental Asian origins. In one archaic Greek dialect, she is known as the ‘mistress’‘mistress.’ <ref> Renehan, Robert. "Hera “Hera as Earth-Goddess: A New Piece of Evidence." ” Rheinisches Museum für Philologie 117, no. H. 3/4 (1974): 193-201</ref>. Hera was in particular associated with the Argive region and she may have been originally a local Argive God, who through a process of synchronization, became part of the Olympian Pantheon.<ref> Slater, Philip Elliot. The glory of Hera: Greek mythology and the Greek family (Princeton University Press, 2014), p. 12</ref>. Hera had many sanctuaries throughout Greece, and she was usually worshipped along with her husband and brother Zeus. In later Greek religion, she was the Queen of the Olympian gods and one of the 12 original Olympians. She was the deity of women. Marriage, the sky and was, closely associated with several animals, which were deemed sacred to her, such as cows <ref> Powell, Barry B. Classical Myth (London, Pearson, 2012), p. 12</ref> Her symbol was the peacock. In several Greek traditions, Hera is more of a nature Goddess and she was the personification of the primal power of the earth. The Romans, as a result, identified her with their Goddess Juno. According to some sources, in particular Homer, Hera is the daughter of Cronos and Rhea and her brother was Zeus. At one time during the war between the Titans and Olympians, she was swallowed whole by her father Cronos but was later freed <ref>Powell, p. 161</ref>. Because her brother Zeus usurped their father’s throne, she was reared by Oceanus and Thetys. Zeus was madly in love with Hera, despite the fact that she was his sister and he did all he could to woo her and she eventually married him. At the wedding of Zeus and his sister/wife, Hera was presented with a magical tree with golden apples. In later traditions, she is shown as the consort of Zeus who depends on her for advice and support. Hera was often known as the mother of the Gods. In total Hera had eight children and seven of these were fathered by Zeus, with the exception of Typhoon (more on this later). Among the children she had with the King of the Gods was Ares the God of War. Another of their children was Hephaestus, the deity of metalworking and Angelo, a goddess of the underworld. Hera was not a maternal figure and she was not interested in justice or even morality. She even cast one of her children out of Olympus because she thought the infant was too ugly. Hera was arrogant, headstrong and vain and portrayed as a scheming and manipulative wife by poets such as Homer <ref> Beckwith, Miles C. "The' Hanging of Hera' and the Meaning of Greek ἄκμων." Harvard Studies in Classical Philology (1998): 91-102</ref>.;l

==Hera had many sanctuaries throughout Greece, and Zeus- a love/hate relationship==Hera had frequent rows she was usually worshipped along with her husband and brother Zeus and on several occasions. In later Greek religion, she was the Father Queen of the Gods had to punish his wife. The relationship between Zeus Olympian gods and Hera was a complex one and the King of the Gods, did love his wife and she loved him12 original Olympians. However, as we will see he had a wandering eye and Hera knew this and she did all she could to retain his affections. On one occasion she borrowed She was the girdle deity of Aphroditewomen. Marriage, the Goddess of Lovesky and was, and closely associated with thisseveral animals, she was able which were deemed sacred to charm and fascinate Zeus- but only for a while and he continued to have countless affairs. Oftenher, she is portrayed in Greek myth such as someone who is rather ridiculous as she tried and failed to stop Zeus' many affairscows <ref> Powell, Barry B. Echo was a nymph in Greek legendClassical Myth (London, Pearson, 2012), which can best be understood as a spirit of a forest or a body of waterp. She 12</ref> Her symbol was given the job distracting peacock.  In several Greek traditions, Hera from Zeus many sexual adventures. Echo was something is more of a charmer nature Goddess, and a flatterer and he was very successful for a long time. However, Hera discovered that she was tricked and cursed the Echo so that she would forever only repeat the words personification of others. This is the origin primal power of the word echoearth. Despite this Hera was The Romans, as a powerful result, identified her with their Goddess and she rode Juno. According to some sources, in a chariot drawn by two horses and she had her own retinue of Gods. Despite particular Homer, Hera is the many portrayals daughter of her as a deceived wifeCronos and Rhea, she was also much feared and her brother was fervently worshipped, especially by womenZeus. Hera was At one time during the war between the Goddess of marriage Titans and anyone who broke their marriage vowsOlympians, she was thought to have insulted swallowed whole by her and committed an act of hubris against the Goddess father Cronos but was later freed.<ref> Powell, p. 118161</ref>. She  Because her brother Zeus usurped their father’s throne, she was believed to have punished unfaithful husbands reared by Oceanus and was believed to also harm those who injured those animals who were sacred to herTethys. The Queen of the Gods Zeus was also believed to help women madly in childbirth. love with Hera played a crucial role in the Trojan War. Because of the judgment of Paris, even though she hated the Trojans and she was his sister. He did all she everything he could to help woo her, and she eventually married him. At the Greeks in their siege wedding of Troy. Despite Zeus' many affairsand his sister/wife, there is no story that survives that Hera was unfaithful to her husband and she was an ever-loyal if long-suffering wife <ref> Renehanpresented with a magical tree with golden apples. In later traditions, p. 113</ref>. Not that she did not have her own admirers. When King Ixion, had is shown as the temerity to try and seduce Hera, consort of Zeus did not take it well. The King of the Gods bound to a burning solar wheel, spinning across the heavens who depends on her for all eternityadvice and support.;l

==Typhoon – the giant serpent==One of the features of the Greek gods was the phenomenon of parthenogenous. This is where the deities were thought to be capable of asexual reproductionZeus, as cunning as ever, that is males sent Hermes and females could produce offspring without a sexual partner. Zeus in some accounts gave birth he lulled the 100 eyed monster to the Goddess Athena sleep and she emerged from his head, fully formed. This greatly angered Hera who saw killed it as a betrayal and a slight to her own children with Zeus. In Io in the myths, she is shown as feeling threatened by form of the arrival of Athenawhite heifer escaped. The Goddess Queen of women the Gods saw this and marriage then goes on to pray to Gaia, (the Earth Mother), for she sent a son who would be the equal of Zeus. Gaia heard her prayers and decides gadfly to enable her to have a child. This was done because she was angry with Zeus for torment the destruction of the Giantsheifer. Gaia tells Io in the wife form of Zeus to go to Cronus and he gives her two eggs that have been smeared with his semen. Hera buried them and from them emerged the huge serpentcow was driven half-monster Typhoon. However, soon after is birth, Hera is reconciled with the King of the Gods and tells him about mad by the monstergadfly. Later Zeus battles with Typhoon for control of the cosmos and the Father of the Gods emerges victorious<ref> RenehanPowell, p. 11399</ref>. It appears that Zeus did not blame was typical of the cruelty of Hera and they continued , who was shown in the myths to be married, even if given to fits of rage. Later when Hera had become reconciled to Zeus it seems that Io was not domestic blissturned back into her old form by Zeus. She later married a future King of Egypt.

==Hera and Hercules==Conclusion====Hercules is one The stories above are just some of the great heroes of incidents recounted from Greek mythology regarding Zeus infidelities and tales of his Seven Labors were very popular in the Ancient WorldHera’s vengeance. This demi-god was the son The Goddess of Zeus women, marriage, and Alcmene, who was already married when childbirth had a complex relationship with Zeus impregnated her. Hera in nearly every account hated Hercules. Not only He 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 frequently unfaithful and humiliated her with his cradle, but the remarkable Hercules managed to kill the snakesaffairs with mortals. Alcemne was so worried about the wrath of Hera that she abandoned her infant son on To be a slope, which Goddess and to have your husband betray you with mere mortals was a common form of infanticide in the Greek Worldinsulting. However, Athena, his half-sister Athena managed to save him and deceived Hera into thinking The fact that he Zeus was having illegitimate children was dead. Later when Hercules reached manhood and began his labors, the Queen of the Gods did all in her considerable power also a grievous insult to harm the son of Zeus. Later they were reconciled with the King Goddess of the Gods and Hercules married her daughter Hebe <ref>Powell, p. 89</ref>Marriage.

==Semele and Dionysus==Zeus had an affair with Semele the beautiful daughter of CadmusStill, the Theban King. Zeus disguised himself so that he could have an affair with Semele. Hera found out about the affair and she decided to have had genuine feelings for her revengehusband. She disguised herself as Hera was worshipped in a nurse and tricked Zeus to show himself society that believed in his true form to Semele vengeance and when he did his thunder and lightning destroyed his belovedits morality was very different from those from the Judaeo-Christian tradition. Zeus took SemeleHera's unborn child and completed its gestation by sewing it into his own thighcruelty was legendary. He later became However, this would not have shocked the god Greeks. Nor would her hatred of Dionysus, Zeus' the deity of wine and all forms of intoxicationlovers be seen as immoral but would have been deemed to be understandable. It is also claimed in some accounts of this GodHowever, it must be remembered that he later retrieved while Hera often hated Zeus, because of his mother from the realm of the dead. This was probably at a time when Zeus and Hera were on good terms<ref>Powellinfidelities, p. 89</ref>they continued to live together in Olympus.

==Io and Hera==Further Reading====Another one of the more prominent affairs of Zeus was with IoHansen, who was ironically a priestess of Hera. When the Goddess heard about this she was furiousRandall, and she turned the unfortunate Io into a white cowWilliam F. Now Hera knew that Zeus would transform the white heifer back into her old female form and continue the affairHansen. She had a 100 eyed giant Argos, to keep watch on the heifer and to tell her if Zeus tried to change her back to her human form[https://www. Zeus, as cunning as ever, sent Hermes and he lulled the 100 eyed monster to sleep and killed itamazon. Io in the form of the white heifer escaped. The Queen 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 the Gods saw this and she sent a gadfly to torment the heiferclassical mythology]. Io in the form of the cow was driven halfAbc-mad by the gadfly<ref>Powell, p. 99</ref>. It was typical of the cruelty of Heraclio, 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 turned back into her old form by Zeus. It is believed to have married a future King of Egypt2004.

==Conclusion==The stories above are just some of the incidents recounted from Greek mythology regarding Zeus infidelities and Hera’s vengeance. The Goddess of womenMorford, marriageMark PO, and childbirth had a complex relationship with ZeusRobert J. He was frequently unfaithful and humiliated her with his affairs with mortalsLenardon. To be a Goddess and to have your husband betray you with mere mortals was insulting[https://www. Then the fact that Zeus was having illegitimate children was a grievous insult to the Goddess of Marriageamazon. Then it appears that 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 Judaeocom/gp/product/0190851643/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0190851643&linkCode=as2&tag=dailyh0c-Christian tradition. Heras cruelty was legendary. However, this was not something that would have shocked the Greeks20&linkId=b928c6051a566b381addfc3ad50fbaf2 Classical mythology]. The Gods were great powers and they were not concerned with humansOxford University Press, from who they only sought respect. Nor would her hatred of the lovers of Zeus being seen as something immoral but would have been deemed to be understandable. HoweverUSA, it must be remembered that while Hera often hated Zeus, because of his infidelities, they were always reconciled and continued to live together in Olympus1999.

O'Brien, Joan V. [https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0847678083/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=Further Reading0847678083&linkCode=as2&tag=Hansendailyh0c-20&linkId=881bc6b6ae4ff328c230c031651079e5 The Transformation of Hera: A study of ritual, Randallhero, and William Fthe goddess in the Iliad]. Hansen. Handbook of classical mythology. Abc-clioRowman & Littlefield, 20041993.;l

O'Brien, Joan V. The transformation of Hera[[Category: A study of ritual, hero, Wikis]] [[Category:Myths and the goddess in the Iliad. Rowman & Littlefield, 1993.==References==Gods]] [[Category: Ancient Greek Myths]]