The Twelve Olympians

Hera

By Caitlin G.  & Meggie B.

In ancient Greece many people believed in the 12 gods and goddesses. One goddesses is Hera. She was the queen of the gods and the goddesses of marriage and women. Her siblings were Poseidon, Hades, Demeter, Hestia and Zeus. Hera was married to Zeus. Her parent's were Kronos and rhea. Her children were Ares, Hephaestus, Hebe, Eris, Eilthyia and Typhoon (no father).her roman equivalent is Juno. Her symbol is pomegranate and peacock. Her home was Mt. Olympus. The cow and later the peacock were sacred to her.

Hephaestus gained revenge with his mother for towing him of Mt. Olympus by making her a magical throne that when she sat down it did not allow her o leave the other gods begged him to let her leave but he refused. Dionysus got him drunk and took him back to Olympus on the back of a mule. Hehestis relished Hera only after being given Aphrodite as his wife.

Hera was the step mother and enemy of Hercules When Alcmene was pregne with him she tried to prevent the birth by tying Alcmene’s legs in knots. She was foiled by Galantis her servant who told her Hercules had already been born Hera turned her a to a weasel. While Hercules was an infant she sent 2 serpents to kill him as he lay in his cot and was fond by his nurse playing with there limp bodies as if they were child’s toys.

Gerona was a queen of the pigmies who said she was more beautiful than Hera. The wrathful goddess tuned her into a crane and proclaimed her bird descendants would rage war among the pygmy folk.

For a long time a nymph named echo had the job of distracting Hera form Zeus' affairs by leading her away and flattering her when Hera  discovered the deception  she cursed echo to only repeat the words of others

According to the Iliad during the trogon war Diomedies fought hector and saw Ares fighting on the trogons side and called for his men to fall back slowly. Hera his mother saw Ares interference and asked Zeus Ares father for permission to drive him of the battle field. Hera encouraged Diomedies to attack Ares and he threw his spear at Ares Athena drove the spear into his body Ares bellowed in pain and fled to Mt. Olympus forcing the trogons to fall back.