Hera
by CTCWeb Editors
Baneful and Protective
There are two sides of Hera associated with Greek heroes. She is either a hero’s protectress or his nemesis who continually makes trouble for her mortal enemy. Students should examine Hera’s relationship with Jason and Herakles. Students should not just look at the information from Perseusbut should also look to outside sources for information.
Apollodorus 1.9.22 - “Hera helps the Argonauts with hard rowing and the help of Hera, they passed through, the extremity of the ship’s ornamented poop being shorn away right round. Henceforth the Clashing Rocks stood still; for it was fated that, so soon as a ship had made the passage, they should come to rest completely.”
Pausanias 2.11.3 - In a grove called Pyraea there is a sanctuary of Hera Protectress and the Maid. Men celebrate a festival here by themselves.
Homer Iliad Book 1 line 206 - Peleus and Achilles receive the favor of Hera who protects their interest during the Trojan war. Homer Iliad Book 4 line 50 - Hera proclaims that she holds the following cities dear to her: Argos, Sparta and Mycenae.
Apollodorus 2.4.8 - Hera sends a serpent to kill the infant Herakles.
Apollodorus 2.4.12 - Hera drives Herakles mad so that he commits awful crimes.
Apollodorus 2.5.9 - Hera incites the Amazons against Herakles.
Apollodorus 2.7.1 - Hera sends storms against Herakles.
Apollodorus 2.7.7 - Herakles and Hera are reconciled.
Bacchylides, Ode 9 line 8 - Hera raised the “sheep-slaughtering, deep-voiced lion” whom Herakles had to kill as his first labor.
Bacchylides, Ode 11 lines 43-56 - Bacchylides tells the story of how and why Hera drove the daughters of Abas crazy.
Euripides, Heracles line 830 - Hera continues to try to ruin Heracles by driving him mad so that he murders his family.
Euripides, Heracles line 1267 - Heracles describes the time when Hera sent a serpent into his cradle to kill him.
Euripides, Medea line 1285 - Hera drove Ino, the sister of Semele, mad because she helped to rear Dionysos. In her madness, Ino threw herself and her children into the sea.
Hesiod Theogony 14 - Hera sends the Hydra against Herakles. For this act Hesiod calls her “evil-minded.”
Hesiod Theogony 328 - Hesiod tells the story of the Nemean lion, which Hera had roam the hills of Nemea to plague men. As one of his labors, Herakles over comes the lion.
Apollodorus E3.4 - Hera sends a great storm against Paris and Helen because she lost the beauty contest for the golden apple judged by Paris.
Apollodorus 1.4.3 - Hera cast Side into Hades because she rivaled herself in beauty.
Euripides, Helen lines 31, 441 ff. - Helen tells of how Hera made a ruin of her marriage because Paris did not judge her to be the most beautiful of the goddesses.
Euripides, Helen line 261 - Helen laments that it is partly the fault of her beauty and partly the fault of Hera that she is the cause of the Trojan War.
