Hera: Queen of Olympus and the Powerful Greek Goddess of Marriage

Q: What were Hera’s children?

Ares, Hebe, Eileithyia; some traditions include Hephaestus born by Hera alone.

Hera: Queen of Olympus and the Powerful Greek Goddess of Marriage

One of the original six Olympians, Hera was the daughter of the Titans Cronus and Rhea. The four main domains of Hera include women, childbirth, family, and most ironically, marriage.
It’s rather strange that the goddess of marriage would spend such a large portion of time seeking revenge against the many lovers and illegitimate children of her husband. But you’ll soon learn that jealousy and the desire for vengeance were two of Hera’s defining characteristics.

Being married to Zeus certainly would have come with its own challenges. But it also meant that Hera ruled Olympus as the queen of gods. You often see her portrayed as a beautiful woman wearing a crown with a lotus-tipped scepter, sitting on her throne, accompanied by a variety of her favorite sacred animals, which include the peacock, the lion, the hawk, and the cuckoo bird.

Compared to her sisters, Demeter and Hestia, Hera plays a very large part in Greek mythology, not just in terms of her cult and worship, but also in the dozens of stories she appeared in.

Aspect	Details
Name	Hera (Ήρα)
Parents	Cronus and Rhea
Consort	Zeus, King of the Gods
Domains	Marriage, Women, Childbirth, Family
Symbols	Peacock, Cuckoo, Pomegranate, Lotus Scepter
Roman Name	Juno

For more about the religious beliefs and rituals of Ancient Greece, check out this article:

Religious Beliefs and Rituals in Ancient Greece

Fresco – Wedding of Zeus and Hera on Mount Ida, Pompeii (House of the Tragic Poet), Naples National Archaeological Museum (Inv. 9559). Photo by ArchaiOptix, 7 Oct 2018. Non-commercial use allowed

The Dramatic Marriage of Zeus and Hera — Love, Trickery, and Power

Let’s start with the story of how Zeus and Hera became husband and wife, or what is commonly referred to as the seduction of Hera.
When Zeus first proposed marriage, Hera declined his offer. But as we know with Zeus, persistence is key. He then decided to use Hera’s love and empathy for animals to his advantage.

Zeus conjured up a terrible storm and transformed himself into a cuckoo bird. When Hera came across the tiny, frightened bird, she embraced it and kept it warm. Zeus then transformed back into himself and revealed that this was all part of his plan to convince her to marry him.

For whatever reason, this worked, and the first Olympian wedding would take place. The wedding itself was a large and prestigious event, with gifts being showered upon Hera from all across the land.

Her grandmother Gaia gave her an entire garden filled with golden apples, which would be looked after by the Hesperides and guarded by the serpent Ladon.
Many of the Greek islands and states claim that the wedding took place on their land, as hosting such a prestigious event could only bring good fortune. It also became tradition for those native to these lands to honor this day every year with a sacrifice.

Infographic: Hera at a Glance

👑 Queen of Olympus — Supreme goddess of marriage, women, and childbirth.
⚡ Wife of Zeus — Shared Olympus’ throne but fought his infidelities fiercely.
🦚 Sacred Symbols — Peacock, cuckoo, pomegranate, and lotus-tipped scepter.
🏛️ Major Cult Centers — Heraion of Samos, Argos, Olympia.
🔥 Mythic Conflicts — Battles of wits with Zeus, vendettas against his lovers and children.
🌍 Roman Identity — Worshiped as Juno, protector of marriage and Rome’s women.

Children of Hera: Ares, Hephaestus, Hebe, and Other Divine Offspring

As with most deities, there is always an interest in their children, and Hera had numerous children, Zeus being the father of most, with some rather strange exceptions.
The most well-known of these children, who needs very little introduction, is Ares, the God of War and the resident hothead of Olympus.

Similar to Ares, you have Enyo, a goddess of war who would be seen by the side of Ares whenever a city was sacked or destroyed.

According to Homer, Eris and Enyo were very similar, if not the same individual.
However, Hesiod disagrees, believing Eris was instead the daughter of Nyx.

Ares (right) with Demeter, Dionysus and Hermes on the frieze of the Parthenon, ca. 447–433 BC, British Museum.

Hephaestus certainly falls into the weird category. Jealous of Zeus giving birth to Athena without her, Hera tried to do the same.

Hephaestus, however, wasn’t the perfect specimen that Athena was. Hera found herself repulsed by his deformities, and so when he was born, poor baby Hephaestus was yeeted off Mount Olympus and left to fend for himself.

There are some accounts that suggest that this may have happened again with the goddess of youth, Hebe.
Most commonly described as the daughter of Hera and Zeus, there are some rare versions where she was born after Hera consumed a magical piece of lettuce.

Some other children worthy of a mention include the goddess of childbirth, Elethea, and the personification of liberty, Eletharia.

Vulcan [Hephaestus]. Engraving by E. Jeaurat, 1716, after N. Vleughels. Iconographic Collections

Hera and the Argonauts: Guiding Jason for Vengeance and Justice

One of the first stories I remember Hera being mentioned in is the Argonautica, the story of Jason and the Argonauts.
Here, she appears to Jason in disguise in order to set in motion a chain of events that would eventually lead to Jason’s quest for the Golden Fleece and the attempt to reclaim his kingdom.

However, Hera’s motivation in this story is not just to help Jason because it’s the right thing to do; it’s more so revenge or justice against King Peleus. The king had murdered his grandmother in one of Hera’s temples.

Jason and Peleus were destined to cross paths eventually, and so Hera sped up this process and convinced Jason and Medea to kill the king who stood in their way.

Jason returns with the Golden Fleece, shown on an Apulian red-figure calyx krater, c. 340–330 BC

Hera vs. Heracles: From Deadly Infancy to Legendary Labors

Some of the most well-known stories of Hera involved Greek mythology’s most iconic hero, Heracles, whose name ironically means “Glory of Hera”.

Despite his name, Hera despised Heracles, which probably had more to do with Zeus than Heracles himself. When Zeus heard of Alcmene’s pregnancy, he announced to all the gods that on this particular date a child of Zeus would be born who would rule all those around him.

Hera had Zeus swear an oath to this claim and so began her hatred of Heracles. When that day finally came, she visited Stenilus, the son of Perseus, whose wife was due to have a child in two months' time.

But as the goddess of childbirth, she made the birth happen on that day. She then visited Alchemene and delayed the birth of Heracles, meaning Zeus’s oath would be honored, and the prophecy he made would refer to Eurystheus, the great-grandson of Zeus, as opposed to Heracles.

While Heracles was still a baby, Hera sent two snakes into the boy’s bedchamber to kill him while he was sleeping. To her surprise, Heracles was found the next morning joyfully waving around the two snakes he had strangled.

When Heracles came of age and started his own family, Hera drove him into a state of madness where he murdered said family. In order to redeem himself, he would have to complete his labors, which coincidentally were chosen by Hera and King Eurystheus.

Labors, they thought, would finally kill Heracles, but they were wrong. Heracles would eventually die, but it wasn’t at the hands of Hera. He would then also become a permanent resident on Olympus, so I guess you could say Heracles had the last laugh.

All 12 labours of Heracles, Mosaic of Llíria (Valencia, Spain)

Carole Raddato from FRANKFURT, Germany - Mosaic with the Labors of Hercules, 3rd century AD, found in Lliria (Valencia), National Archaeological Museum of Spain, Madrid

Hera and the Trojan War: The Apple of Discord and the Road to Troy

Hera also played a large role in the events that led to the Trojan War. This story begins with the nymph Thetis, more commonly known as the Mother of Achilles.

Thetis was to marry King Peleus, a union advised by Zeus. All the gods and goddesses were to attend this wedding and each bring a gift.

The only deity to be declined entry was Eris, the goddess of discord and strife. When Hermes turned her away as Zeus ordered, she was furious.

She had brought with her a golden apple with the inscription “to the fairest.” After being denied entry, she threw the apple into the room where the ceremony was taking place.
Athena, Aphrodite, and Hera all looked down at the apple and claimed it belonged to them, and so began the dispute as to which of the three goddesses was the most beautiful.

As there was no agreement in sight, they took this dispute to Zeus, who wisely decided he wanted no part in any of this. Instead, he passed the buck to the Trojan Prince Paris.
All three goddesses appeared before Paris, undressed, and asked him to be the judge of this beauty contest.
Paris, however, was unable to decide, and so the three took to bribing him instead.

Athena offered him all the wisdom and fame he desired. Hera offered him political power, and Aphrodite promised him the most beautiful mortal woman as his bride.

Paris eventually chose Aphrodite, and the woman promised to him was Helen of Troy, who already happened to be married to the King of Sparta.

Needless to say, Athena and Hera were less than pleased with Paris’s decision, and his eventual abduction of Helen would lead to the Great Trojan War.

There are many small actions that led to this war, but it's fair to say that Athena, Hera, and Aphrodite all played a significant role.

The Tale of Io: Hera’s Jealousy, Argus with 100 Eyes, and the Peacock

the many affairs of Zeus that Hera was at least aware of. The story of Io definitely falls into the weird category. In this story, Hera was sure she would catch Zeus in the act this time with a woman named Io.

Zeus, however, knew Hera was suspicious, and before she appeared, he transformed Io into a cow in order to hide his new mistress.
Hera, not falling for this trick, insisted that Zeus give her this cow as a gift. She then instructed the 100-eyed giant Argus to stand guard.
Whenever he would fall asleep, half of his eyes would remain open, ensuring no one could sneak past him.

Zeus, not wanting to intervene himself in order to avoid suspicion, had Hermes free Io on his behalf. Hermes was able to send all 100 of Argus’s eyes into a deep slumber before slaying him and setting Io free.

To honor his service, Hera took Argus’s eyes and placed them on her favorite animal, the Peacock. The ancient Greeks also used this story as a way to explain the eye pattern found on Peacocks.

Hera vs. Leto: The Struggle Behind the Birth of Artemis and Apollo

When Hera found out about Leto being pregnant with Artemis and Apollo, she made sure that as long as Leto was on the mainland, she couldn’t give birth.

The goddess of childbirth and her own daughter, Elethia, was forbidden from offering assistance. Poseidon guided Leto to the island of Delos, away from the eyes of Hera.

The other deities distracted Hera with a beautiful necklace, long enough for Elethia to slip away and ensure both Artemis and Apollo were born.

Hera Against Dionysus: Schemes That Couldn’t Stop the God of Wine

Dionysus is another Olympian who was almost never born because of Hera.When she discovered a woman named Semele was pregnant with the child of Zeus, she disguised herself as Semele's nurse and convinced her that unless Zeus showed her his true appearance, he did not love her.

Semele had Zeus swear an oath. And when he did eventually show himself, she burst into flames and died. Zeus then had the unborn child sewn into his own thigh. This child was, of course, Dionysus.

Tiresias and Hera: A Strange Transformation and the Price of Truth

The last story I will leave you with is the rather puzzling case of Tirasius, a prophet and priest of Zeus. One day, Tirasius came across two snakes mating. He then, for whatever reason, took a stick and began to beat the snakes away.

For this he was transformed into a woman, and so he was now a priestess of Hera. The next time she came across snakes mating, Tyrusseus trampled all over them and was transformed back into a man. During an argument between Zeus and Hera as to who had the most pleasure during sex, Tyrusseus found himself in the middle
.
Hera was adamant that it was men and Zeus that it was women. They used Tiresias as the decider because he had experienced it from both sides. Tiresias sided with Zeus. Hera, not liking this answer, then blinded him. Zeus, unable to undo the actions of his wife, gave Tiresias the gift of prophecy to make up for his loss of sight.

Hera’s Complex Nature: Protector of Marriage or Vengeful Queen?

The portrayal of Hera's overall character is slightly odd for the goddess of marriage, family, childbirth and women. You'd expect a stable, caring and forgiving nature. At times this may be the case with Hera, but there are plenty of occasions where she is the exact opposite.

With Athena it makes sense because you have the conflicting accounts of the Greek and Roman poets, but with Hera the same can't be said.
An interesting explanation that I came across, which is pretty much just an unproven theory, is that Hera could predate the Hellenes to a period in ancient Greece that was much more matriarchal.

When the shift to a more patriarchal society happened, Hera's attempts to challenge Zeus's rule or authority were seen in a much more comical manner. Hence the over-the-top jealousy and the acceptance that Zeus will do whatever he wants to do.

This theory is rejected by most scholars because of a lack of evidence.
If you ask me, the answer is simple. Being married to Zeus is probably enough to drive anyone insane but let me know what you think in the comment section.

Key Takeaways: Hera in Greek Mythology

Hera is the powerful Greek goddess of marriage, women, and childbirth, and the queen of Olympus.
Despite her role as protector of marriage, she was famous for jealousy and punishing Zeus’s lovers and their children.
Major symbols include the peacock, cuckoo, pomegranate, and her lotus-tipped scepter.
She played crucial roles in myths such as the Trojan War, Jason’s quest, and the trials of Heracles.
Her worship was centered at great sanctuaries like the Heraion of Samos and Argos.
Romans adopted her as Juno, keeping her as the guardian of marriage and women.
Hera’s stories reflect the struggle for respect and power within a patriarchal divine order.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who is Hera in Greek mythology?

Queen of Olympus and Greek goddess of marriage, women, childbirth, and family.

Who are Hera’s parents and what is her Roman name?

Daughter of Cronus and Rhea; her Roman counterpart is Juno.

Why is Hera associated with jealousy and vengeance?

Myths portray her punishing Zeus’s lovers and illegitimate children to defend marriage.

What are Hera’s main symbols?

Peacock, cuckoo, pomegranate, and a lotus-tipped scepter.

Where was Hera especially worshipped?

Great sanctuaries at Samos, Argos, and Olympia (Heraia festivals).

How did Hera marry Zeus according to myth?

Zeus wooed her with the cuckoo-bird ruse; their wedding became a model of divine union.

What were Hera’s children?

Ares, Hebe, Eileithyia; some traditions include Hephaestus born by Hera alone.

What is Hera’s role in the Argonautica?

She aids Jason against King Pelias, guiding the quest for the Golden Fleece.

Why did Hera hate Heracles?

As Zeus’s son by Alcmene, he drew her wrath; she opposed him from infancy through his labors.

How did Hera influence the Trojan War?

After the Judgment of Paris favored Aphrodite, Hera backed the Greeks against Troy.

What is the story of Io?

Zeus turned Io into a cow; Hera set Argus to guard her, then claimed the peacock’s eyes.

How do scholars interpret Hera’s complex character?

She guards marriage and civic order yet embodies stern justice in a patriarchal pantheon.

Sources & Rights

Homer. Iliad & Odyssey (Hera’s role in epic and the Trojan cycle).
Hesiod. Theogony (genealogy; Hera, Zeus, and Olympian order).
Homeric Hymns. Hymn to Hera and related hymns.
Apollodorus. The Library of Greek Mythology (Io, Argus, Heracles traditions).
Pausanias. Description of Greece (Heraion of Samos and Argos; cult practices).
Apollonius of Rhodes. Argonautica (Hera’s guidance of Jason).
Burkert, Walter. Greek Religion. Harvard University Press, 1985.
Gantz, Timothy. Early Greek Myth: A Guide to Literary and Artistic Sources. Johns Hopkins, 1993.
Parker, Robert. Polytheism and Society at Athens. Oxford University Press, 2005.
Stafford, Emma. Herakles. Routledge, 2012 (context for Hera and Heracles).