Natalie Haynes Stands Up for the Classics Hera
9 snips
Aug 12, 2025 Dive into the tumultuous life of Hera, the queen of the gods, who starts out being swallowed by her father and ends up marrying her brother, Zeus. Discover the drama of their infidelity and jealousy, as well as Hera's fierce retaliation against Zeus’s lovers. Her complex character shines through as she grapples with loyalty and betrayal during the Trojan War. From turning a peacock into a symbol of her fury to donning a magic bra for persuasion, this exploration raises the question: is she a monster or a victim of an awful marriage?
AI Snips
Chapters
Books
Transcript
Episode notes
Hera's Early Life And Foster Parents
- Natalie Haynes recounts Hera's birth: swallowed by Kronos and later regurgitated when Zeus frees his siblings.
- She was raised by Tethys and Oceanus and visited them fondly in Homeric accounts.
Weird Beginnings Of A Divine Marriage
- Zeus pursues Hera through shape-shifting, including into a cuckoo to seduce her per Pausanias.
- Their marriage blends romantic desire with mythic oddity and later notable wedding gifts like Gaia's golden apples.
The Io Story And The Peacock's Eyes
- Haynes retells Ovid's Io: Zeus assaults Io, turns her into a cow, and gives her to Hera who sets Argus to guard her.
- After Mercury kills Argus, Hera plucks his eyes and places them on the peacock's tail.
