Name: HERA
Pronunciation: HEHR-uh
Pantheon: Greek
Domain: Queen of the Gods, Goddess of Marriage, Women, and Family

🏛️ Overview / Myth & Story

Hera’s story begins at the dawn of the Olympian order. She was born to the Titans Cronus and Rhea, part of the second generation of divine beings that followed the primordial gods. According to myth, Cronus, fearing a prophecy that one of his children would overthrow him, swallowed each of them at birth — including Hera. She remained imprisoned within his stomach alongside her siblings until her youngest brother, Zeus, managed to escape this fate. When Zeus reached maturity, he cunningly forced Cronus to disgorge his siblings, leading to Hera’s rebirth into the world and her eventual role as one of the key figures in the divine overthrow of the Titans, known as the Titanomachy.

Raised on the island of Euboea (in some versions, nurtured by the Oceanid nymphs), Hera grew into a powerful and majestic deity, embodying dignity, divine authority, and fierce devotion to her role. Once the Olympians established their reign, Hera took her place beside Zeus—not only as his queen but also as the goddess who governed the sacred institution of marriage and the strength of familial bonds.

Despite her divine status and majesty, Hera is often portrayed in myth as a deeply complex figure — regal, proud, and frequently scorned.

Much of Hera’s mythology centers around her jealousy and vengeance against Zeus’s many lovers and illegitimate children. However, she was also a protector of marriage and childbirth, representing the sacred bond of union and the strength of matriarchy in ancient Greek culture.

Notable myths involving Hera include:

• Her plotting against Heracles, Zeus’s mortal son

• The Judgment of Paris, which sparked the Trojan War

• Her rebellion against Zeus, where she temporarily overthrew him with help from other gods

• Her role in the birth of Hephaestus, whom she cast out of Olympus for his imperfection

🙏 Worship & Cult

Hera was honored throughout the Greek world, especially by women seeking fertility, protection during childbirth, or harmony in marriage. She was often worshiped in partnership with Zeus, though her temples and rites were distinctly her own.

Major centers of her worship include:

• Argos, where the Heraion (her grand sanctuary) stood as a major religious site

• Samos, believed to be her birthplace and home to one of the oldest temples in Greece

• Olympia, where she was worshiped alongside Zeus, with her own altar and cult following

Festivals like the Heraia celebrated her with athletic games and sacred rites performed by women.

🔱 Symbols, Animals & Attributes

• Peacock (her sacred bird, symbolizing pride and immortality)

• Cow (representing motherhood and nurturing)

• Pomegranate (symbol of fertility and marital union)

• Diadem or Crown (marking her status as queen)

• Scepter (symbol of royal authority)

👑 Related Gods