Armed with his lightning bolts, Zeus was the strongest and often the bravest of the gods. However, his leading role came simply from drawing straws with his brothers, Hades and Poseidon. Zeus drew the longest straw and thus became the ruler of the heavens and earth. We will speak of his brothers a bit later. You will notice that many of the gods are interconnected within one another’s stories and play important roles in the activities of the other.
On his second marriage, Zeus married Hera. Hera was the supreme goddess, goddess of marriage and childbirth and took special care of married women.
Hera did not desire to be married to Zeus, who was also her brother, as she did not see him fit for marriage. After all, he did swallow his first wife, Titaness Metis. Because of this and Zeus's known attractiveness to women other than his wife, Hera refused to marry Zeus for three hundred years.
One spring, Zeus caused a terrible thunderstorm and turned himself into a disheveled cuckoo. He flew in through Hera’s window, all wet and ruffled, causing Hera to feel sorry for the small bird. She held the bird against her chest and hugged it tenderly. Zeus took this opportunity to immediately turn back into himself and wooed her with such passion that she finally decided, after three hundred years, to marry him.
As a wedding gift, Gaia, the earth-mother, gave Zeus and Hera golden apples. Hera took the wedding gifts and planted them in her garden, close to Mount Atlas. She sent the immortal monster with a 100 heads, Ladon, to guard the tree along with the Hesperides. We will come back to golden apples, just wait and see what they can stir up in another famous wedding!
The wedding of Zeus and Hera was a grand event and everyone was expected to join them in their ceremony of matrimony in a showing of their respect for the couple. I sure bet Chelone lived to regret not attending the wedding! Chelone was a nymph who decided against attending the wedding of Zeus and Hera and was in turn punished. Chelone was turned into a turtle for ridiculing and or refusing to attend the wedding. For her insulting words, the gods condemned to her to eternal silence. For choosing to stay home, instead of attending the ceremony, she was forced to carry her home with her for eternity. Talk about an event you wished you hadn't missed!
After their marriage, Zeus continued with his wooing, but it was not Hera he was wooing. Instead Zeus was marrying young attractive women, mostly mortals. Zeus, being the gentleman that he was known for being, told Hera that he was doing these chores for the sake of humankind. The sons, that these mortals were blessed to have by him, would be great heroes but the mortals did not mean anything to him because they would grow old and die. In his attempt to woo Hera as before, he maintained that she would be his young, beautiful queen forever and that their marriage was the real thing.
Now surely, you don't believe that Hera would fall for that line! She felt very insulted and was unhappy with the marriage, but was unable to pay Zeus back for these other marriages because his powerful lightning bolts could dispose of her at any time. However, she could surely take her anger out on his wives! Just wait and see what she does!
On his second marriage, Zeus married Hera. Hera was the supreme goddess, goddess of marriage and childbirth and took special care of married women.
Hera did not desire to be married to Zeus, who was also her brother, as she did not see him fit for marriage. After all, he did swallow his first wife, Titaness Metis. Because of this and Zeus's known attractiveness to women other than his wife, Hera refused to marry Zeus for three hundred years.
One spring, Zeus caused a terrible thunderstorm and turned himself into a disheveled cuckoo. He flew in through Hera’s window, all wet and ruffled, causing Hera to feel sorry for the small bird. She held the bird against her chest and hugged it tenderly. Zeus took this opportunity to immediately turn back into himself and wooed her with such passion that she finally decided, after three hundred years, to marry him.
As a wedding gift, Gaia, the earth-mother, gave Zeus and Hera golden apples. Hera took the wedding gifts and planted them in her garden, close to Mount Atlas. She sent the immortal monster with a 100 heads, Ladon, to guard the tree along with the Hesperides. We will come back to golden apples, just wait and see what they can stir up in another famous wedding!
The wedding of Zeus and Hera was a grand event and everyone was expected to join them in their ceremony of matrimony in a showing of their respect for the couple. I sure bet Chelone lived to regret not attending the wedding! Chelone was a nymph who decided against attending the wedding of Zeus and Hera and was in turn punished. Chelone was turned into a turtle for ridiculing and or refusing to attend the wedding. For her insulting words, the gods condemned to her to eternal silence. For choosing to stay home, instead of attending the ceremony, she was forced to carry her home with her for eternity. Talk about an event you wished you hadn't missed!
After their marriage, Zeus continued with his wooing, but it was not Hera he was wooing. Instead Zeus was marrying young attractive women, mostly mortals. Zeus, being the gentleman that he was known for being, told Hera that he was doing these chores for the sake of humankind. The sons, that these mortals were blessed to have by him, would be great heroes but the mortals did not mean anything to him because they would grow old and die. In his attempt to woo Hera as before, he maintained that she would be his young, beautiful queen forever and that their marriage was the real thing.
Now surely, you don't believe that Hera would fall for that line! She felt very insulted and was unhappy with the marriage, but was unable to pay Zeus back for these other marriages because his powerful lightning bolts could dispose of her at any time. However, she could surely take her anger out on his wives! Just wait and see what she does!
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