Hera was the ancient greek queen of the Olympian gods, daughter of the Titans Cronus and Rhea. She was the wife and sister of Zeus and the mother of Ares, Hephaestus, Eris and Hebe.

She was a jealous and difficult wife to Zeus, constantly quarreling with him and pestering both his mistresses and their own children. She was the protectress of women, presiding over marriage and childbirth, and was called upon to punish cheating or battering husbands. Hera was worshiped in all parts of Greece, especially in Argos and Salmos.




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Greek and Roman Mythology

Hera, the Queen of Heaven, forever virgin. Every year she regains her virginity by bathing in a spring called Canathus.

Zeus did not do a very good job of trying to gain Hera's affections, and so he resorted to trickery. He transformed himself into a ill-looking cuckoo. Hera, feeling sorry for the bird, cuddled it in her breast. Zeus transformed back into normal form, and raped her. She married him out of shame.

She went on to incite a revolt amongst the gods, drugging Zeus and tying him up. Zeus escaped, with help, and hung Hera from the stars and made her promise to never revolt again. She agreed, and kept her promise. Though she still plotted against him, she was never so bold as open revolution again.

The Via Lactea aka The Milky Way is formed of the milk of Hera. It was either milk that was used to feed Hermes or Heracles or Dionysus.

As noted above, Hera's primary characteristic is her jealousy, and her chastising her husband, his lovers and their children. Her jealousy killed Semele, in the most manipulative fashion. Zeus had promised to do anything for Semele, and so Hera convinced Semele to ask of him that he come to her as he would come to Hera. Zeus could not refuse, and came to her in his true form, a sight that no mortal could abide, thus killing her.

Hera also transformed Io into a cow to stop Zeus doing the deed. Zeus went ahead anyway in the form of a bull.

Paris chose Helen of Troy over her, and so Hera bent her will towards the destruction of Troy.

Tiresias, was blinded by Hera for saying that the female orgasm is more powerful than that of a man.

In short, Hera was less than a pleasant person.

Sources - http://homepage.mac.com/cparada/GML/Hera.html
http://www.greekmythology.com

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