What are the symbols of Hera?
Pomegranate The pomegranate is often used to symbolize Hera’s role as the protector of marriage and family. In ancient times, it was used as an offering when worshiping the goddess Hera. In artwork, she is sometimes holding a pomegranate in one hand. Pomegranate seeds can signify family lineage, which also mirrors Hera's association with family and childbirth. What it symbolizes: Fertility, abundance, and the life cycle. Related mythology: Pomegranates also appear in the Persephone myth as a symbol of life, death, and fertility.
Lotus Hera is regularly depicted holding a scepter topped with a lotus flower, which symbolizes her role as queen of the gods. The lotus flower is a symbol of her power and authority, and is also associated with purity, beauty, and renewal. What it symbolizes: Power, beauty, purity, and authority. Related mythology: In Homer’s Odyssey, Odysseus encounters the Lotus Eaters, who are addicted to eating lotus flowers to forget about their pasts.
Peacock As one of Hera’s sacred animals, the peacock symbolizes her immortality and her vanity. She is usually depicted with a peacock who pulls her chariot. It’s also linked to Hera’s beauty, elegance, and royalty. The many eyes on a peacock’s tail are said to represent the all-seeing nature of the Greek gods. What it symbolizes: Cosmic harmony, pride, renewal, and the beauty of creation. Related mythology: In the myth of the hundred-eyed monster Argus Panoptes, Hermes charms Argus to sleep with his lyre and then places his eyes on the tail of the peacock, Hera’s sacred bird. The peacock feather became a symbol of Hera’s all-seeing wisdom. Other sacred animals related to Hera: the cuckoo, black panther, cow, lion, and turtle.
Crown or Diadem In ancient art, Hera is shown wearing a golden crown (also called a diadem), to signify her powerful royal status as a queen. A diadem is a type of tiara that looks like a jeweled headband. Hera wears this regal crown when seated on her throne in the halls of Mount Olympus. What it symbolizes: Royalty, power, status, authority, and victory. Related mythology: In the myth of Ariadne, Dionysus transforms Ariadne's crown into a constellation in the night sky called Corona Borealis.
Scepter Like her crown, Hera’s scepter also symbolizes her role as the queen of the gods, as well as her power and influence. A scepter is a ceremonial staff usually held by kings and queens during coronations to demonstrate a transfer of power. She appears in artwork holding the scepter, which is topped with a lotus flower to represent transformation and renewal. What it symbolizes: Authority, royal status, sovereignty, and power. Related mythology: In The Iliad, Odysseus uses the scepter of Agamemnon to command the Achaean army. Achilles later swears an oath using his scepter to symbolize divine justice. Gods like Zeus and Hades also appear in myths holding a scepter.
Lily flower The white lily flower is also associated with Hera as a symbol of purity, womanhood, and motherhood. Particularly, it’s linked to the color of her breast milk, which is said to have helped create both white lilies and the celestial Milky Way. This sacred flower of Hera also links to the life-force within breast milk and relates to the cycle of life, along with fertility. What it symbolizes: Purity, innocence, rebirth, renewal, and fertility. Related mythology: In Greek myth, Hera breastfed Hercules until she pushed him away from her, which caused the milk to spray across the stars until it created the Milky Way.
Sacred Colors & Stones
Royal blue and jade green The colors of royal blue and jade green are most often linked to the goddess Hera because they appear on a peacock, one of Hera’s main sacred animals. Blue symbolizes both royalty and fidelity, while jade green represents some of her protective qualities. Other colors associated with Hera include blue, green, gold, and silver; gold and silver reflect the royal crown and scepter that she’s often depicted holding. What they symbolize: Royal blue (nobility, elegance, leadership, strength); Jade green (prosperity, good luck, healing). Related mythology: Zeus is associated with the celestial blue sky of the heavens, while Poseidon rules over the blue-green waters of the sea.
Lapis lazuli The lapis lazuli stone appears deep blue, with flecks of pyrite, symbolizing the open communication needed for a successful marriage, which links it to Hera, who presided over marriage and family. Pearls are also among her sacred stones and relate to women and marriage. Others include garnets, amber, citrine, emerald, diamond, and star sapphires. What it symbolizes: Lapis lazuli (honesty, open communication); Pearl (women, marriage). Related mythology: Though not appearing in any specific Greek myth, Lapis lazuli is associated with Poseidon, god of the sea, and Athena, goddess of wisdom.
Hera’s Roles as a Goddess
Queen of the Gods Symbols like Hera’s royal scepter and crown indicate that she is a member of Olympian royalty. She is called the queen of the gods because she is the wife of Zeus, who is the king of the gods. The power of immortality also comes with being queen of the gods; she cannot be killed and remains eternally youthful.
Goddess of Marriage Hera is known as the goddess of marriage in Greek mythology. She is depicted as the wife of Zeus, the king of the gods. Though Hera sometimes shows jealousy or rage, she is known for her near-constant fidelity to Zeus and dedication to their marriage. Though a protector of marriage, Hera’s sometimes vengeful nature made her curse those whom she disliked. She also had the power to curse marriages if and when she liked.
Goddess of Childbirth In addition to marriage and womanhood, Hera is also linked to childbirth. Before her role as Zeus’ wife and queen of the gods, she was thought of as a pre-Hellenic goddess of fertility, which is why she’s often depicted as holding a pomegranate, a potent fertility symbol.
Protector of Women Hera protects women through phases of life that include marriage, childbirth, and having a family. She defends women’s rights within the sanctity of marriage, and can be jealous or vengeful when she feels Zeus has slighted her.
Protector of Cities Hera is a protector not only of women, but also of cities. Specifically, she is the protective force who guards over the locations of Argos and Samos. She is the patron goddess of the city Argos, but is also known to watch over the islands of Samos, Mycenae, and Sparta.
Power over Weather, Emotions, and Shapeshifting Hera can control weather patterns, along with the atmosphere. She can change wind currents and air pressure as well as create destructive thunderstorms. Hera is also known for her ability to induce madness in those who make her angry, as well as transition between mortal and divine forms. She can also shapeshift into animals like peacocks, cows, or cuckoos.
Myths About Hera
Judgment of Paris At the wedding of Peleus and the goddess Thetis, Eris, a minor Greek goddess of strife, threw a golden apple in the center of the celebration space “to the most beautiful” one. When Hera, Athena, and Aphrodite all tried to claim the apple, Zeus selected the Trojan Paris as a neutral judge to oversee the dispute. When Paris chose Aphrodite, Hera became enraged and vowed her revenge on every Trojan.
Heracles Hercules was the son of Zeus and lcmene, the queen of Tiryns. Enraged over another of Zeus’ illegitimate children, Hera wanted to kill Heracles. When his mother left him to die of exposure over fear of Hera, the goddess Athena convinced Hera to breastfeed the baby, whom she didn’t know was actually Heracles. She then cast him aside because breastfeeding Heracles was so painful. The baby lived, but Hera continued to try and murder him throughout his childhood. Hera was the reason for many of the famous 12 Labors of Heracles, including sending the Amazons to kill him, along with the Nemean Lion and the Hydra.
Hephaestus' Birth After Zeus single-handedly gave birth to the goddess Athena through his mind, Hera was enraged. She decided to punish Zeus by having a child on her own as well. In turn, Hera alone gave birth to Hephaestus, the god of fire. He was deformed (some say with a limp), and Hera cast him out of Mount Olympus.
Semele and Dionysus In this Greek myth, Zeus tried to hide an affair he had with the mortal Semele, who was the mother of Dionysus. In her jealousy, Hera disguised herself as an elderly nurse and convinced Semele to ask Zeus to prove his immortality as a god by revealing his true form to her. When Zeus revealed his divine form, Semele burned to death. Zeus took her unborn child (Dionysus) and attached him to his thigh until he could be born. Even when Zeus gave Dionysus to Hermes and Athamas to raise, Hera caused them to go mad and murder Dionysus. Zeus saved him, but Hera still drove him mad when he became an adult.
Io's Transformation In Ovid’s Metamorphoses, Io was another of Zeus’s lovers whom Hera grew jealous of. She transformed Io into a cow and then convinced Zeus to give her the cow Io as a gift, whom she kept on a tall mountaintop where Argus, the 100-eyed giant, guarded her. Zeus then has the messenger god Hermes rescue Io and kill Argus by throwing him down the mountaintop.
Pelias and Jason Hera played an important role in Jason’s famous quest for the Golden Fleece. Angry at Pelias because he slighted her, she helped Jason in every part of his quest, including causing the sorceress Medea to fall in love with Jason, which further helped him on his quest. Medea assisted Jason by providing him with an ointment that helped him defeat the fire-breathing bulls, and advised him on how to defeat the Spartoi, the fire-breathing warriors who grew out of a dragon’s teeth.
Hera's Origins & Family
Hera is best known as the wife of Zeus, the king of the gods. She is referred to as the queen of the gods who co-ruled with Zeus over Mount Olympus. Though her parents are the Titans named Cronus and Rhea, Hera was part of the group of Olympians who overthrew the Titans in the Titanomachy, a war between the gods. Parents: Cronus and Rhea (Titans) Siblings: Zeus, king of the gods, Hades, ruler of the underworld, Poseidon, god of the sea, Demeter, goddess of the harvest, and Hestia, goddess of the hearth. Children: (With Zeus) Ares, the god of war, Hebe, the goddess of youth, and Eileithyia, the goddess of childbirth. Sometimes Hephaestus, the god of fire, with Zeus or alone. Sometimes, Eris, the goddess of strife and discord, and Enyo, the goddess of war. Roman goddess name: Juno
Hera’s Epithets
Hera Pais This is the epithet used to worship Hera as a child. A temple dedicated to Hera Pais is located in the Argolis region of Hermione. Worshipping Hera as a child is linked to her role as the virginal daughter of Cronus and Rhea.
Hera Teleia Hera Teleia focuses on the worship of Hera as a woman and a wife. This occurs once she becomes the wife of Zeus after the Titanomachy, or war of the gods, in Greek mythology.
Hera Chḗrē This epithet refers to Hera as being widowed or separated. She is portrayed as an old woman or crone, which reflects the passage of time for her and women in general.
Hera’s Personality
Hera is depicted as the most powerful of the Greek goddesses. Known as the queen of the gods, her symbols, from the crown and scepter to the peacock that pulls her chariot, all emphasize this royal authority and power. She has powers that extend to marriage, womanhood, and childbirth, among others.
Hera is known for her loyalty and fidelity in her marriage to Zeus. Parts of Zeus’s personality include infidelity and being disloyal to Hera, but Hera’s steadfast devotion to their marriage is a reason why she is known as the goddess of marriage, childbirth, and family. She represents the ideals of marital fidelity and is a symbol of family unity.
Hera is also famously jealous, vengeful, and often wrathful. In response to Zeus’ infidelities, she is often shown to commit violent acts in multiple Greek myths. Some feel that her independently creating Hephaestus was a reaction to Zeus giving birth to Athena through his mind/head. Hera can be manipulative and controlling, especially when it comes to the madness of others. Hera famously drove Dionysus insane until he went to Zeus to be cured, and was said to cause Hercules (Heracles) to kill his wife and children.
Ancient Greek Temples Dedicated to Hera
Many temple sites dedicated to Hera can be found in the ancient world. As an Olympian deity, Hera was worshipped by multiple cults throughout ancient Greece and surrounding areas. The most prominent sites are located in Argos, Samos, and Olympia. A more detailed list of where Hera’s temples are located can be found ahead: Heraion of Argos: Located in the Argolid region of Greece, between the cities of Argos and Mycenae; it is a major center of worship for Hera. Heraion of Samos: A large temple dedicated to Hera, located in the ancient city of Samos, where Hera and Zeus were said to go on their honeymoon. Olympia: The oldest temple at Olympia; it was originally dedicated to both Hera and Zeus. Heraion of Perachora: Located on the Perachora peninsula near Corinth, Greece; it has 2 temples: Hera Akraia (“of the heights”) and Hera Limenia (“of the harbor”). Heraion of Metapontum (Tavole Palatine): Originally dedicated to both Hera and the god Apollo. Temple of Hera I (Paestum): Also called the Basilica, it is the older of the 2 temples in Paestum, Italy. Temple of Hera II (Paestum): Also referred to as the Temple of Neptune, it is the newer of the 2 temples. Temple of Hera Lacinia: Located on Capo Colonna in Calabria, Italy, near Crotone. Sicyon: A temple built to Hera Alexandros by Adrastus after he fled Argos. Hera is also referred to as Hera Alexandros, meaning “defender of men.” Temple E at Selinus: Dedicated to Hera, this temple is located in Sicily. Tiryns: A temple located at the Argive Heraion, between Tiryns and Mycenae, in Greece. The island of Delos: Known as the Heraion, it’s located southeast of the Sanctuary of Apollo in Greece. Aigophagos (Goat-Eater) in Sparta: Reflects an epithet of Hera named "Oligophagous," meaning “goat eater,” used in Sparta. This temple was built by Heracles.
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