The myth of Hera refers to one of the most classic but also the poorest facets of the female figure: it depicts a matriarch always overrun by jealousy and who never misses the opportunity to take revenge. Her husband Zeus’ systematic infidelity habitualmente. la puts her in this position.
For the Greeks, the myth of Hera represented the archetype of ordinary women. She was the goddess of marriage and family life; It was up to her to defend both institutions at all costs. It was Olympus’ most important female deity and, one way or another, she almost always got what she wanted.
- One of the most striking aspects of Hera’s myth is the fact that she took revenge on each of Zeus’ infidelities.
- However.
- The object of her anger was almost never her husband.
- But her lovers and the children she had with them.
- Though Zeus conquered the women with which he betrayed his wife by force or by cheating.
“Marriage is the main cause of divorce. ” -Groucho Marx-
Hera was the daughter of Cronos and Rea, therefore the sister of Zeus, who later became her husband, and like all of Cronos’ sons, swallowed him at birth, for the oracle had announced that one of his descendants would tear him apart. saved by a trick from his mother and then freed his brothers, including Hera.
Hera’s myth tells that Zeus attached to her and, to conquer her, took the form of a bird called cuckoo. Their wedding was a luxurious event, held at jardim das Hesperides. Both had ares sons, god of war; Hebe, goddess of youth; Ilitia, goddess of childbirth and pregnant women; and Hephaustos, god of fire, metals and metallurgy.
Although Hera’s myth is the myth of unity and family, this goddess was not necessarily a good mother, the proof is that she rejected her son Hephaestus because she thought she was too ugly, expelled him from Olympus and he took revenge by making a magical throne for his mother; when Hera sat on it, he could never stand. The spell ended when Hephaestus received Aphrodite as his wife.
Hercules, the Greek hero, was the result of one of Zeus’ infidelities, so Hera overcame him and always struggled to destroy him. The hero’s mother, Alcmena, called her Hercules, your son to soothe the goddess’s hatred. means “the glory of Hera”; however, this did not soothe the fury of the Olympic matriarch.
Zeus, who had no limits, led Hera to breastfeed Hercules, taking him for one of his true sons, with this, the hero was fed divine milk, when Hera discovered the deception, suddenly pushed the child from his arms and pulled him. a squirt of milk from his chest. In his wake, the Milky Way was born.
Later, Hera he heste Hercules with the 12 famous tasks and pursued him all his life. However, Zeus and other gods protected the hero in his many tasks, thwarting some plans of the Queen of Olympus.
The myth of Hera shows that this goddess acted not only out of jealousy, but also out of pride on several occasions, she is said to have blinded the prophet Tiresias when she did not want to agree with her husband during an argument. , was also one of the instigators of the famous Trojan War.
On one occasion, did you try to strike? In Olympus, for this he met Poseidon, Apollo, and Athena, the goal was to dethrone Zeus, who had no idea what was going on, while he slept he was chained to bed and stripped him of the beam that gave him power. They soon began arguing about who would be the new god of the gods in Olympus.
As the lively discussion continued, Briareu, a hundred-armed giant, entered the scene, freed Zeus, who regained control of Olympus and severely punished the conspirators, who apologized and swore allegiance forever, despite their persistent infidelities. , the marriage never ended.