Myths and Legends: Hera, Greek goddess of women and marriage By E.M. Berens, adapted by Newsela staff on 10.25.16 Word Count 629 TOP: Hera, Athena and Iris in the Trojan War, painting by Jacques Réattu, 18th century; photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons. BOTTOM: Marble head of Hera, copy from Greek original by Polykleitos; photo by DEA / G. DAGLI ORTI/De Agostini/Getty Images. Greek mythology evolved thousands of years ago. There was a need to explain natural events, disasters and events in history. Myths were created about gods and goddesses who had special powers and human feelings. These ideas were passed down in beliefs and stories. Angry Goddess Hera is the most important wife of Zeus, the king of the gods. She is the queen of heaven and also the goddess of women and marriage. She severely punishes married gods and men who fall in love with other women. Because she was very beautiful and the wife of Zeus, Hera was vain. She became upset when anyone challenged her beauty or her rights as queen of heaven. The following story is an example of how she got angry when someone questioned her beauty.
An Apple For The Fairest The sea-nymph Thetis was to marry a man named Peleus. All the gods and goddesses were invited to the wedding except for Eris, the goddess of conflict. Angry about this, Eris decided to cause some trouble by throwing a golden apple into the crowd of guests. On the apple was written "For the Fairest." All the beautiful goddesses at the wedding thought they were "the Fairest." After a lot of arguing, there were still three goddesses fighting over the apple. They were Hera, Athena and Aphrodite. It was agreed that a young man named Paris would decide who was the fairest goddess. Each goddess tried to tempt him with an offer. Hera promised him many countries to rule. Athena promised that he would win many wars. Aphrodite promised him the most beautiful woman in the world. Trojan War In the end Paris chose Aphrodite, and she received the apple and became the goddess of beauty. Hera became very angry and punished Paris and his whole family. She caused them to lose the Trojan War, angering her husband Zeus. There are many other stories of anger between Hera and Zeus. Once, Hera caused a storm at sea that almost killed Zeus' favorite son, Heracles. Zeus became so angry that he tied Hera to the clouds with a golden chain. Her son Hepaestus tried to save his mother, but Zeus stopped him. He threw Hepaestus out of heaven, breaking his leg. Zeus Tricks Hera Hera was so angry that she left Zeus and moved to the Greek island of Euboea. This surprised and upset Zeus, who decided to try anything to win her back. He dressed a statue of a woman in a wedding dress and placed it in Hera's chariot, announcing that this was his new wife. Hera was furious. She flew to the wedding in great anger and wildly attacked the bride. Once she discovered that it was a statue, Hera agreed to return to her husband. Hera dearly loved Greece, and her favorite cities were Argos, Samos, Sparta and Mycenae. Hera's main temples were at Argos and Samos. Hera was honored in the Altis races, where young women competed for a special crown. Like the Olympic Games, these races took place every four years. Paintings and statues of Hera often show her seated on a throne. She holds a pomegranate in one hand and a staff in the other. The beautiful goddess looks calm and intelligent, her eyes large and fully opened.
Juno In Rome, the Greek goddess Hera was known as Juno. Hera is the strong queen of heaven, while Juno is seen as the honored housewife. Juno was believed to watch over and protect every woman from her birth to her death. Her main temples were in Rome. On the first day of March, the married women of the city held a grand festival in her honor. From "The Myths and Legends of Ancient Greece and Rome" by E.M. Berens.
Quiz 1 Which sentence from the article explains why Hera's husband got mad at her? Because she was very beautiful and the wife of Zeus, Hera was vain. Once, Hera caused a storm at sea that almost killed Zeus' favorite son, Heracles. He threw Hephæstus out of heaven, breaking his leg. Hera was so angry that she left Zeus and moved to the Greek island of Eubœa. 2 Which paragraph from the last two sections of the article shows that Zeus tricked Hera? 3 Which sentence from the article is MOST important to include in its summary? She became upset when anyone challenged her beauty or her rights as queen of heaven. Hera promised him many countries to rule. Her son Hephæstus tried to save his mother, but Zeus stopped him. Paintings and statues of Hera often show her seated on a throne. 4 What are two main ideas of the article? 1. Paris had to decide if Hera, Athena or Aphrodite was the fairest. 2. Hera and Zeus became angry with each other many times. 3. Hera was honored as the queen of heaven in temples, paintings and statues. 4. Hera attacked the statue of the woman in the wedding dress. 1 and 2 2 and 3 2 and 4 3 and 4
Answer Key 1 Which sentence from the article explains why Hera's husband got mad at her? Because she was very beautiful and the wife of Zeus, Hera was vain. Once, Hera caused a storm at sea that almost killed Zeus' favorite son, Heracles. He threw Hephæstus out of heaven, breaking his leg. Hera was so angry that she left Zeus and moved to the Greek island of Eubœa. 2 Which paragraph from the last two sections of the article shows that Zeus tricked Hera? Paragraph 9: Hera was so angry that she left Zeus and moved to the Greek island of Euboea. This surprised and upset Zeus, who decided to try anything to win her back. He dressed a statue of a woman in a wedding dress and placed it in Hera's chariot, announcing that this was his new wife. Hera was furious. She flew to the wedding in great anger and wildly attacked the bride. Once she discovered that it was a statue, Hera agreed to return to her husband. 3 Which sentence from the article is MOST important to include in its summary? She became upset when anyone challenged her beauty or her rights as queen of heaven. Hera promised him many countries to rule. Her son Hephæstus tried to save his mother, but Zeus stopped him. Paintings and statues of Hera often show her seated on a throne. 4 What are two main ideas of the article? 1. Paris had to decide if Hera, Athena or Aphrodite was the fairest. 2. Hera and Zeus became angry with each other many times. 3. Hera was honored as the queen of heaven in temples, paintings and statues. 4. Hera attacked the statue of the woman in the wedding dress. 1 and 2 2 and 3 2 and 4 3 and 4