Queen of the gods, protector of marriage and of women, Hera ruled Mount Olympus at the side of Zeus. Discover her myths, her sacred peacock and the stories that made her one of the most powerful goddesses of the Greek world.
Who is Hera?
Hera is the Greek goddess of marriage, women, childbirth and the family, and queen of the Olympian gods. Daughter of the Titans Kronos and Rhea, she was both sister and wife of Zeus. The Romans worshipped her as Juno, from whom the month of June takes its name – still a favourite month for weddings.
In art Hera is a majestic, mature woman of great dignity, wearing a crown or diadem and a long veil, holding a royal sceptre. Her sacred animals are the peacock and the cow, and her symbols include the pomegranate, a sign of fertility and marriage, and the lily. Some of the oldest and largest temples in Greece were built for her, at Samos, Argos and Olympia.
Queen of Olympus
Like her siblings, Hera was swallowed at birth by Kronos and freed by Zeus. After the war against the Titans, Zeus courted her – according to one story disguised as a cuckoo caught in a storm, which she sheltered in her arms. Their wedding was the grandest celebration Olympus had ever seen; Gaia, the earth, gave Hera a tree bearing golden apples, later guarded in the Garden of the Hesperides. Together Zeus and Hera had Ares, god of war, Hebe, goddess of youth, and Eileithyia, goddess of childbirth; Hera alone gave birth to Hephaestus.
The eyes of the peacock
Hera's devotion to marriage made her fiercely jealous of Zeus' many love affairs. When Zeus turned the maiden Io into a white cow to hide her, Hera asked for the cow as a gift and set the hundred-eyed giant Argus to guard her. Zeus sent Hermes, who lulled Argus to sleep with music and slew him. To honour her faithful servant, Hera placed his hundred eyes on the tail of her favourite bird – which is why the peacock's feathers are covered with eyes.
Hera and Heracles
Hera's anger fell especially on Heracles, son of Zeus and a mortal woman. She sent two serpents to his cradle, which the baby strangled with his bare hands, and later drove him to the trials that became his famous Twelve Labours. Yet his very name means "glory of Hera", and in the end, when Heracles became a god, Hera was reconciled with him and gave him her daughter Hebe as his wife.
The judgement of Paris
At a divine wedding, the goddess of discord threw a golden apple inscribed "For the fairest". Hera, Athena and Aphrodite each claimed it, and the Trojan prince Paris was chosen as judge. Hera offered him power over all of Asia, Athena victory in war, and Aphrodite the love of the most beautiful woman in the world. Paris chose Aphrodite – and Hera's resentment towards Troy shaped the course of the Trojan War.
Hera in art and in your home
Hera represents loyalty, partnership and the strength of the family. A statue of Hera, or of Zeus and Hera together, is a meaningful wedding or anniversary gift and a dignified piece for a living room or bedroom. Look for her crown, sceptre and peacock – the peacock motif also appears beautifully in decorative bowls, vases and candle holders.
Related gods
Read the story of her husband Zeus, her son Hephaestus and her rivals in the judgement of Paris, Athena and Aphrodite. Browse all the Olympians in our Greek Mythology collection.
