In Greek mythology, Hera was born on Crete to Cronus (or Uranus), the ruler of heaven and earth, and his wife Rhea (or Gaia), daughter of Oceanus, one of the Titans. She is a Goddess of marriage and women, and represents many virtues such as fertility and family life.
Hera’s name, though it can be traced to earlier origins, is of uncertain etymology. Nonetheless it is accepted that Hera was ultimately derived from the proto-indo-European word for ‘hearth’. This makes sense considering her role as goddess of marriage.
When Zeus overthrew Cronus and became king of heaven, he took his mother Rhea as his wife. His first wife was Metis who gave birth to Athena but Zeus swallowed her up when she became pregnant with a sixth child (probably Dionysus). He then married Themis who gave birth to Justice (Dike) but he swallowed her up too when she became pregnant with her fifth child. Finally, Zeus married Hera who gave birth to Ares but he swallowed him too when he became pregnant with their fourth child (Eileithyia).
She is also known for being very jealous of Zeus’ many affairs with other goddesses, even though she has many lovers herself. Her most famous lover was Zeus’ son Heracles.
The Romans adopted Hera from the Greeks and changed her name to Juno. They also believed that she protected women who were pregnant or had just given birth.
