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Juno (Hera)
• Juno was the wife and one of three sisters of Jupiter. Her chief function was as the queen of the gods and the guardian of marriage.
• Hera's mother was Rhea and her father Cronus.
• Juno was the mother of Mars (Ares) and Vulcan (Hephaestus)
Ares and Aphrodite in a garden
Vulcan as the blacksmith
As the patron goddess of Rome and the Roman empire she was called Regina ("queen") and, together with Jupiter and Minerva, was worshipped as a triad on the Capitol (Juno Capitolina) in Rome.
IVNO REGINA (Queen Juno)
Juno's warlike aspect among the Romans is apparent in her attire. She often appeared armed and wearing a goatskin cloak, which was the garment favored by Roman soldiers on campaign.
She was sometimes portrayed as majestic and solemn, often enthroned, and crowned
Hera was more well-known for her jealous and vengeful nature, most notably against Zeus's lovers and offspring, but also against mortals
Besides her portrayal as the vengeful and jealous wife of Jupiter, Hera is most commonly known for her role in the Trojan War
Paris offended her by choosing Aphrodite as the most beautiful goddess, earning Hera's hatred.
• One of Juno's most prominent appearances in Roman literature is as a primary antagonistic force in Virgil's Aeneid, where she is depicted as a cruel and savage goddess
• She is intent upon thwarting Aeneas' attempt to found a new Troy in Italy.
She seeks to accomplish this by first supporting Dido and then Turnus and the Rutulians against Aeneas.
The greatest obstacle to Aeneas’ success is Dido, queen of Carthage and favorite of Juno
Venus and Juno conspire to make Dido fall in love with Aeneas; after he has recounted to her the fall of Troy and his wanderings, she is stricken with love
The Royal Hunt Of Dido And Aeneas, Francesco Solimena (1657-1747)
Jupiter sends his messenger, Mercury, to Aeneas to remind him of his destiny
Aeneas reluctantly leaves Dido, who resolves to kill herself
Before she dies, Dido utters a curse on Aeneas and his descendants. In the curse she names Juno as the chief mediator and witness to her troubles
The Aeneid later describes how Juno rouses the malevolent powers of the Underworld in her attempt to prevent the fulfillment of Aeneas’ destiny.
She goaded Turnus into violently opposing Aeneas’ betrothal to Lavinia; after ferocious battles between the Latin allies and the Trojans, Aeneas killed Turnus in single combat
Hera and Heracles
When Alcmene was pregnant with Heracles, Hera tried to prevent the birth from occurring by tying Alcmene's legs in knots.
Juno (Hera) was the enemy of Heracles, who was named "Hera-famous” in her honor
Hera and Heracles• Many
times during Heracles' life, Hera attempted to have him killed
Hera and the Creation of the Milky Way
According to Mythology, the sons of Zeus might only share in divine honors if Hera had nourished them. Hermes therefore brought Heracles at his birth to Hera and she nursed him. But when she realized it was Heracles, she shook him off and the excess milk spurted out to form the Galaxy
Hera and Echo
• Jupiter enjoyed straying from Juno’s side to visit with ladies, including mountain nymphs
• Often when Hera might have caught the nymphs with Jupiter on the mountain slopes, Echo knowingly held her in long conversations, while the nymphs fled.
• When Hera realized her trickery, she said:“I will give you less power over that tongue of yours, by
which I have been deluded, and the briefest use of speech.“ Ovid, Metamorphoses 3.365
From that moment on, Echo could not be silent when others have spoken, nor learn how to speak first herself
Hera and the Golden Fleece
• Hera hated Pelias (a son of Poseidon) because he had killed Sidero, his step-grandmother
• Sidero hid in one of Hera’s temples, but Pelias killed her anyway, causing Hera's undying hatred of Pelias
• Hera revenged herself, but only after many years. Pelias’ half brother, was the father of Jason whom Pelias had tried to kill by sending him on the quest of the golden fleece. Instead, Jason was indirectly the cause of his death. He was killed by his daughters under the direction of Medea, Jason’s wife.
