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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.

Hera was often known as the mother of the Gods. She had eight children, and seven of these were fathered by Zeus, except for 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 cunning 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>.

====Why do Hera and Zeus- have a love/hate relationship?====[[File: Temple of Hera - Agrigento - Italy 2015.JPG|200px|thumb|left|A Temple of Hera in Sicily]]Hera had frequent rows with and Zeus and on several occasions, the Father of the Gods had to punish his wifefrequently clashed. The relationship between Zeus and Hera was a complex one , and the King of the Gods, did love his wife , and she loved him. However, as we will see he had a wandering eye , and Hera knew this and she . The Goddess did all she could to retain his affections. On one occasion she borrowed the girdle of Aphrodite, the Goddess of Love, and with this, she was able to briefly charm and fascinate Zeus- but only for a while . But his affection was temporary and he continued to have countless affairs. Often, she Her portrayal of Greek myths is portrayed in Greek myth often extremely negative. The myths often sought to portray her as someone who is rather ridiculous as because she tried and failed to stop Zeus' many affairs.  In one story, Echo was a nymph in Greek legend, which can best be understood as who was a spirit of a forest or a body of water. She was given Zeus gave her the job of distracting Hera from Zeus many 'sexual adventures. Echo was something of a charmer and a flatterer and he she was very successful in distracting Hera for a long time. However, when Hera discovered that she was tricked and tricking her, she cursed the Echo so that she would forever only repeat the words of othersforever. This is the origin of the word echo. Despite this  Hera was portrayed as a powerful Goddess and she . She rode in a chariot drawn by two horses and she had her own retinue of Gods. Despite the many portrayals adverse treatment of her as a deceived wifeHera, she was also much feared and was fervently worshipped, especially by women. Hera was the Goddess of marriage and anyone who broke their marriage vows, was thought believed to have personally insulted her and committed an act of hubris against the Goddess .<ref> Powell, p. 118</ref>. She was believed to have punished unfaithful husbands and was believed to also harm those anyone who injured those animals who that were sacred to her. The Queen of the Gods was People also believed to thought that Hera could help women in childbirth. Hera played a crucial role in the Trojan War.  Because of the judgment of Paris, she hated the Trojans , and she did all she could to help the Greeks in their siege of Troy. Despite Zeus' many affairs, there is no story that survives that where Hera was unfaithful to her husband , and she was an ever-loyal if long-suffering wife .<ref> Renehan, p. 113</ref>. Not that she did not have her own admirers. When King Ixion, had the temerity to try and seduce Hera, Zeus did not take it well. The King of the Gods bound Ixion to a burning solar wheel, spinning across the heavens for all eternity.;l

[[File: Temple ====Typhoon – the giant serpent====One of the features of the Greek gods was the phenomenon of parthenogenesis. This is where the deities were thought to be capable of asexual reproduction. Male and female gods could produce offspring without a sexual partner. Zeus in some accounts gave birth to the Goddess Athena when she emerged from his head, fully formed. This greatly angered Hera who saw it as a betrayal and a slight to her own children with Zeus. In the myths, she is shown as feeling threatened by the arrival of Athena.  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 greatest heroes of Greek mythology. The tales of his Seven Labors were very popular in the Ancient World. Hercules was a demi- Agrigento god and the son of Zeus and Alcmene. Alcmene was 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 Hercules when he was an infant. She sent two snakes to kill the infant in his cradle, but remarkably 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- Italy 2015sister Athena managed to save him. She 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.JPG|200px|thumb|left|A Temple Later they were reconciled with the King of the Gods and Hercules married her daughter Hebe.<ref>Powell, p. 89</ref> ====Semele and Dionysus====Zeus had an affair with Semele the beautiful daughter of Cadmus, 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 her revenge. She disguised herself as a nurse and tricked Zeus to show himself in his true form to Semele. When he turned into his true form his thunder and lightning killed Semele.  Zeus took Semele's unborn child and completed its gestation by sewing it into his own thigh. He later became the god of Dionysus, the deity of wine and all forms of intoxication. It is also claimed in Sicily]]some accounts of this God, that he later retrieved his mother from the realm of the dead. This was probably at a time when Zeus and Hera were on good terms.<ref>Powell, p. 89</ref> ====Io and Hera====Another one of the more prominent affairs of Zeus was with Io, who was ironically a priestess of Hera. When the Goddess heard about this she was furious, and she turned the unfortunate Io into a white cow. Now Hera knew that Zeus would transform the white heifer back into her old female form and continue the affair. 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.

==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]]