The liver re-grew each night, and the eagle returned each day to repeat the process, subjecting Prometheus to perpetuity of torment by day, and nights full of dread of what the morrow would bring. She then sent emissaries to all cities and settlements, forbidding them to offer Leto shelter, food, or water. To vent his anger at mankind, Zeus sent Pandora down to earth with a box whose lid, when it was eventually removed, unleashed upon the world all the evils that plague humanity, such as diseases, plagues, war, death, and the constant need for backbreaking labor to eke sustenance out of the earth. Why should Latona be honored with worship rather than I? However, after Zeus impregnated Leto with twins, he abandoned her in order to marry his sister, Hera. The trend of Hera being jealous and spiteful toward her husbands children continued throughout their reign. Python was sent by Hera to find and kill Apollo's mother, Leto, for Zeus' act of adultery against her. There are a number of times in Hesiod's text that despises women, being mortal, immortal, or flesh-eating monsters. Echo and Narcissus (John William Waterhouse, 1903, Walker Art Gallery, Liverpool) In Metamorphoses, the poet Ovid tells of Juno (Hera in Greek mythology) and the jealousy she felt over her husband Jupiter's (Zeus in Greek mythology) many affairs. Another of Tantalus children was Niobe, who got her own dose of divine punishment and earned an entry on this list see below. In Greek mythology, Semele, the lover of Zeus, died a tragic death at the hands of Hera, the jealous wife of Zeus. Zeus realized he needed another approach. Spouse: Zeus (also her brother) Abode: Mount Olympus. In his mortal life, Heras attacks on Heracles had been relentless. Abode: Mount Olympus. Sisyphus however tricked the death god by asking him how the chains worked, and ended up chaining that deity. Tired of being humiliated by her husband the goddess started to plot against the ruler of Olympus. However, when his fellow Titans refused to heed his advice and resort to trickery, Prometheus switched sides and joined the Olympians. Zeus, the king of the gods in Greek mythology, is famously wicked. In the Iliad, Hera conspired to make Zeus sleep so the gods could be free of his command to stay out of the battles of men. ZEUS, God of Horndogs. Unlike Aphrodite, for example, she had no affairs during her marriage and had taken no lovers before it. By analyzing the character of a goddess we follow the late psychologist James Hillman's suggestion that "Mythology is psychology in ancient dress," - ie. In his madness, Lycurgus slew his wife and family. Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. To gain the favor of a God is already . Pseudo-Apollodorus, Bibliotheca 1. Why did Zeus turn into a swan? Ranker All The Ways Hera Got Revenge On Zeus For Cheating On Her, Meaww Blood Of Zeus: Zeus As Cheating Husband, Scorned Wife Hera Bring War To Olympus As Heron Flies To The Rescue, ThoughtCo Thetis: Not Just a Greek Nymph, Ancient History Encyclopedia Prometheus, Bulfinch, Thomas Bulfinchs Mythology (2010), Genealogical Guide to Greek Mythology Actaeon, Keefer, Professor Julia, New York University The Myth of Sisyphus by Albert Camus, Nilsson, Martin P. Greek Folk Religion (1972), Nilsson, Martin P. Mycenean Origin of Greek Mythology (2017), Peabody, Josephine Preston, Tales Beyond Belief The Myth of Niobe, Theoi Greek Mythology The Titaness Leto, History Collection Truly Intense Vengeance Stories From Greek Mythology, omniscient, omnipotent, and infallible God, having him taken to the Caucasus Mountains, punishment was not already horrible enough, Keefer, Professor Julia, New York University , Peabody, Josephine Preston, Tales Beyond Belief . By Noelle Talmon / Aug. 30, 2021 1:34 pm EST. The geographer Strabo, citing earlier sources, described the wealth of Tantalus as driving from mines in Mount Sypilus. She stood and surveyed the people with haughty looks. I am the owner and chief researcher at this site. She then sent emissaries to all cities and settlements, forbidding them to offer Leto shelter, food, or water. Not only did he trick Zeus by serving him bones wrapped in delicious food, but he betrayed him by returning fire to the humans. Zeus was notoriously unfaithful to his wife, while Hera was known for her extreme jealousy. Hera resisted the marriage at first, but eventually gave into her brothers proposal. As to Prometheus, Zeus punished him by having him taken to the Caucasus Mountains, where he was chained to a rock. "One evening, while Zeus and Hera were dining, Zeus drank excessively of the nectar of the gods. Zeus created the laws that ruled the world according to his will, the god despite loving his wife was not faithful to her and he had plenty of extra marital affairs and because of this the goddess Hera and Zeus lived in a permanent state of quarrel. How did Hera try to kill Heracles as a baby? The gods threatened Sisyphus with dire punishment if he did not free Death, so he reluctantly did. Her children lay unburied for nine days, because the gods turned the Thebans into stone, until the tenth day, when they allowed the burials to proceed. Demeter was another of Zeus' sisters. Chiron a mythical being with the lower body of a horse, and the torso and upper body of a human was notable in Greek legend for his youth-nurturing nature. When Ixion planned to assault the goddess, her husband not only prevented the attack but gave Ixion a harsh punishment in Hades for the crime of attempting to violate his wife. Danaus hauled the daughter who had disobeyed him before a court, but her husband intervened and murdered Danaus in revenge for the deaths of his 49 brothers. While Tantalus divine punishment and other supernatural aspects of his story are mythical, there might have been a historical king Tantalus in real life, who ruled an Anatolian city named Tantalis. When Zeus heard Ixion's boasting, he had all the proof he needed and decided that Ixion would need to be punished. Hera Punished Her Husband's Former Mistress by Prolonging Her Childbirth Labor for Years. When Lycurgus heard that his command was being defied and that Dionysius was in his kingdom, he flew into a rage. Ixion abused his pardon by trying to seduce Zeus's wife, Hera. What folly, said she, is this! Ixion pretended to shrug it off, invited his father-in-law to a feast, and there, murdered him by shoving him into a bed of burning coals. He was as well-known for his short temper as she was, but he rarely displayed this trait with his wife. When a coup was started by the other Gods who were led by Hera, Poseidon, and Athena, Zeus was tied to the bed by unbreakable chains so that he would submit to their requests. That championing of mankind got him in trouble with the gods, who devised a horrific punishment for him in consequence. Exposed liars were made to dedicate a statue to Zeus, often at the sanctuary of Olympia. In their flight, they sought refuge in Lycia, whose peasants, on Heras instructions, sought to prevent Leto and her infants from drinking water. Zeus married one Titaness and courted another before marrying Hera to ensure that their son would not be powerful enough to overthrow him. Some writers claimed that the couple enjoyed a few centuries of harmony and happiness together. In a flash, Apollo and Artemis, whose nicknames included The Immortal Archers, showed up at the citadel of Thebes. Still, the Greeks seemed to realize that their goddess of marriage did not have a perfect union. That impiety shocked the Thebans, and they returned to their daily pursuits in awestruck silence and trepidation. Zeus substituted for her a cloud, by which Ixion became the father of Centaurus, who fathered the Centaurs by the mares of Mount Pelion. Why should Latona be honored with worship rather than I? It is from Tantalus punishment, of desperately wanting something that seems so close but that is just beyond reach, that we get the English word tantalize. Zeus destroyed Tantalus, then personally took his soul to Hades, the underworld of Greek mythology. She obeyed, and when Sisyphus arrived at the underworld, he begged Death to allow him to return to earth to punish his wife for her impiety. There, the 49 daughters were condemned to spend an eternity of ceaseless and hopeless labor, reminiscent of Sisyphus. Hera cursed her by turning her into a cow. Niobes hubris provoked Letos children, the gods Apollo and Artemis, to seek vengeance for the insult to their mom, who had suffered greatly on their behalf see earlier entry about Leto, above. His name, which means foresight, emphasizes his intellect, for he was known as a cunning trickster. Like the hero Achilles, of Iliad fame, Actaeon had been taught hunting by the centaur Chiron. In Greek legend, Prometheus was a Titan a race of divine beings who preceded the Olympian gods. Without deep love or an expectation of fidelity on the husbands part, the rulers who looked up to them hoped to emulate their relatively peaceful cohabitation. In the text, Odysseus is found shouting at Polyphemus saying, "You had the gall to eat the guests in your own house, and Zeus made you pay for it" (IX,478-479). So she begged Zeus to give her the heifer as a present, and unable to come up with an excuse to refuse, he grudgingly gave his lover as a gift to his wife. Zeus: God of the Skies. Niobes hubris provoked Letos children, the gods Apollo and Artemis, to seek vengeance for the insult to their mom, who had suffered greatly on their behalf see earlier entry about Leto, above. Will any one deny this?. Despite their many problems, the two were never enemies. Once in the Underworld, Zeus could have his vengeance on Sisyphus. 4. Io and Zeus. The Ancient Greeks sometimes saw their gods as arbitrary and capricious, and few myths depict that conception of the Olympians arbitrariness and capriciousness as does the myth of Actaeon. Io was one of Zeus's consorts in Greek Mythology. 0 comments. Being Zeus mistress was tough. Have I not cause for pride? Whenever he reached for the fruit, the wind wafted the branches away, and whenever he reached for water to take a drink it flowed away from him. The only deity to touch the food was the goddess Demeter, who was distracted by the death of her daughter, Persephone, and absent-mindedly ate part of Pelops shoulder. Although the affair and pregnancy had occurred before Heras marriage to Zeus, the Queen of Heaven was still jealous of Leto, and set out to turn her life into a living hell. Prometheus had been one of the leaders of the Titans went they waged war for mastery of the heavens against the Olympian gods, when the latter rose up to replace the Titans. Why does Echo get punished? How Did Odysseus Get Punished. In the meantime, Lycurgus conducted an anti-Dionysian purge throughout his kingdom and carried out a persecution that saw the rounding up, arrest, and imprisonment of the Maenads and other followers of Dionysius. Disobeying ones parents was a great sin in Ancient Greece, so all the daughters, except one who took pity on her new husband after he respected her desire to remain a virgin, murdered their spouses on the wedding night. Remains of the Temple of Zeus in Athens by TravelCoffeeBook. Hera means lady and was undoubtedly the title of a powerful mother goddess whom the Greeks inherited from the earlier inhabitants of Argos, which was a major city in the Peloponnese. Hera, now even more jealous of Leto after she gave birth to Zeus children, sent a dragon to chase her and her newborns around. Archaeological evidence also attests to the existence of a king Tantalus in ancient times. [Note: this torment is due to the wrath of Hera, not Zeus. Hera, daughter of Cronus and Rhea, is Zeus's . Zeus Horkios: Zeus he was the keeper of oaths. Olympians / Zeus. There was a degree of idealism in how the couple was shown, however. Arriving at Mount Nyseion, Lycurgus used an ax to slay a Maenad who had nursed Dionysius as a child, and broke up the festival by chasing the remaining attendants out with an ox goad. Despite having helped the gods secure victory, Prometheus eroded his store of goodwill with them by siding with humanity against the Olympians. Hence, making Zeus owe Thetis a favor. Zeus was the principal deity of the Greek pantheon, the god of the weather and . This punishment of Hera would last throughout antiquity, until the relative position of the earth and the . Even then, the gods were not yet done with Niobe. This play shows many the archetypes in the characters in this play, like Zeus Prometheus, and Hephaestus. Understandably, Hera was none too happy about her husbands serial infidelities, which left her feeling slighted. My father was Tantalus, who was received as a guest at the table of the gods; my mother was a goddess. Hera banned her from giving birth on terra firma the mainland or any island under the sun. In return for this deed . Hera tormented many of Zeus's mistresses. He was actually born into quite an interesting situation. Her children lay unburied for nine days, because the gods turned the Thebans into stone, until the tenth day, when they allowed the burials to proceed. What were Zeus punishments? Aegyptus did not give up, however, and sent his fifty sons to Argos to claim their brides. There, the chief god devised a punishment that became a proverbial term for temptation. Like the hero Achilles, of Iliad fame, Actaeon had been taught hunting by the centaur Chiron. It did not work. It should come as no surprise, then, that The Moons of Jupiterof which there are at least 67are named for his lovers (including "lovers") and descendants. In their flight, they sought refuge in Lycia, whose peasants, on Heras instructions, sought to prevent Leto and her infants from drinking water. Among the Thebans, rumors planted by Hera persisted that Zeus had not been his . Zeus then transformed io back into a woman and set her free. My father was Tantalus, who was received as a guest at the table of the gods; my mother was a goddess. Leto then went on to become a goddess of motherhood, with a divine portfolio that also included protection of the young. However, Zeus also respects the autonomy and diversity of the gods, and often allows them to act according to their own preferences and interests. That murder was particularly odious in Greek eyes because it violated Xenia the laws of hospitality governing the relationship between guests and hosts. Even though she was the goddess of marriage, her own marriage was far from perfect. The four main domains of Hera include Women, Childbirth, Family, and most . Ixion, in Greek legend, son either of the god Ares or of Phlegyas, king of the Lapiths in Thessaly. In this way, the relationship between Zeus and Hera did represent an ideal, albeit one that seems horrible to modern readers. Hera saw the poor bird and kindly brought him into the shelter of her bosom to warm and dry him. In ancient Greek religion, Zeus is the Chief deity and ruler of all gods and mankind. However, she committed the sin of hubris a mixture of extreme pride, dangerous overconfidence, and overweening arrogance. To make his pettiness stick, the chief god prohibited anybody from letting humanity in on the secret of fire. At the slightest provocation, the Olympian gods might fly into a divine wrath, that could only be assuaged by putting some unfortunate being in his or her place, via bizarre and exemplary punishments that let everybody know just who is boss. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors. The breach of Xenia left Ixion defiled, shunned by fellow Greeks and unfit to live amidst men. Soon as Sisyphus got his boulder to the top of the hill, it would roll down the other side, and he would have to go back down and collect his boulder to roll it up the hill again. We should note that all of his "relationships" with women produced childrengenerally sons . They were unsuccessful, and it was many years before Zeus forgave them for the attempt. According to Ovid, how id Zeus punish Lycaon? They had good reason for trepidation because taunting Leto turned out to be a bad idea. Women who were pursued by Zeus learned to avoid Hera as well. The most famous poison story from Greek mythology may be the one involving Heracles, Deianira, and the wicked centaur Nessus. Athena was born out of her fathers head and was generally described as not having a mother in any real sense. He was the god of the sky and thunder. She ruled over the proper arrangements of marriage, and her husbands many affairs were a direct affront not only to their marriage, but also to her role as a goddess. To save himself from the livid Lycurgus, Dionysius was forced to flee, and escaped the wrath of the angry king by leaping into the sea. This attitude was not reserved just for mortal women. Hera banned her from giving birth on terra firma the mainland or any island under the sun. Zeus consistently doles out harsh punishments to those who act against his will - regardless of their merit. 1. Best Answer. Leto was Zeus first mistress, and became the first to fall victim both to the chief god, who slaked his lust and abandoned her when she got pregnant, and then to the cray wrath of his wife. Hera, titled the Queen of Heaven, reigned from the gods home atop Mount Olympus as the wife and sister and wife of Zeus, chief god of the Greek pantheon. So Leto turned them into frogs before the infant Apollo eventually slew the dragon. The gods were ticked off at him for showing them up and making them look like fools, and took offense at his self-aggrandizing deceitfulness, and the hubris of believing himself more cunning than Zeus. One of Tantalus sins was stealing ambrosia and nectar, the food of the gods, and giving it to mortals. Aside from the avowed virgins, she was one of the only goddesses to never have a child outside of her marriage. In only one story did Zeus punish Hera for her actions when she plotted to overthrow him. Updates? The terrified Actaeon bounded into the woods, but his own dogs detected the scent of a stag, and failing to recognize their master in his new body, chased him down and tore him to pieces. Without Eileithyas help, Letos labor was slow and painful. Wherever I turn my eyes I survey the elements of my power; nor is my form and presence unworthy of a goddess. He instilled in Actaeon a passion for hunting that would prove the Theban heros undoing. [80] Athena leaped from Zeus's head, fully grown and armed,[80] with a shout"and pealed to the broad sky her clarion cry of war. Niobe, in Greek myth, was a daughter of Tantalus, who got his own dose of terrible divine punishment from the gods see previous entry. Zeus, the king of the gods of Mount Olympus, had many relationships but it was his sister, Hera, whom he wanted to rule by his side as his wife. Legend states he was placed into his position of power by killing his . Io was a priestess of the Goddess Hera in Argos, whose cult her father Inachus was supposed to have introduced to Argos. According to Hesiod, why does Zeus get mad at Prometheus? To punish the king, and to dissuade other men from thinking that they too could make fools out of the gods, Zeus inflicted a rather bizarre punishment. Although the extent of Actaeons sin, if it could even be called that, was to simply have had the misfortune of bumping into a naked goddess, Artemis was livid that a mortal saw her naked. She later caused Heracles to go mad . Tantalus was placed in a pool of water, beneath a fruit tree with low branches. As to the 49 daughters who had murdered their husbands, they remarried, choosing new mates from the winners of a footrace. He instilled in Actaeon a passion for hunting that would prove the Theban heros undoing. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. That angered Zeus, whose divine responsibilities included the promotion of Xenia. Spouse: Hera. Niobe was left transfixed with grief and surrounded by the corpses of her offspring. As a consequence, his eye was blinded by Odysseus, which was a sign of Zeus' punishment for the ones who fail to follow his command and harm the guests. He continued to live to a ripe old age, before dying a second time. Zeus is called the "Father of the Gods" and "King of all". . To vent his anger at mankind, Zeus sent Pandora down to earth with a box whose lid, when it was eventually removed, unleashed upon the world all the evils that plague humanity, such as diseases, plagues, war, death, and the constant need for backbreaking labor to eke sustenance out of the earth. To all this let me add, I have seven sons and seven daughters, and look for sons-in-law and daughters-in-law of pretensions worthy of my alliance. Even during his decade of servitude, Hera interfered to make the labors of Heracles more difficult and dangerous. As if her punishment was not already horrible enough, Zeus piled on and capped it off by turning Niobe into a pillar of stone, in which state she would continue to weep throughout eternity for her loss. Faithfulness. In the legends of Heracles, his stepmother is featured as his constant antagonist. So when his disciples, the Maenads, threw a festival in honor of the wine god atop the sacred mountain of Nyseion in Lycurgus kingdom, Dionysius took on human form and attended as the guest of honor. Nobody was willing to perform the necessary religious rituals that would cleanse him of his guilt and restore him to good standing, so Ixion was forced to live in the wilderness as an outlaw. The Ancient Greeks mythology and religion envisioned their main gods in anthropomorphic terms, resembling humans in many aspects. Ixion's eternal punishment for his audacity and complete disrespect for both humanity and the gods was to be tied to an ever-spinning wheel of fire in Hades. In Greek legend, Prometheus was a Titan a race of divine beings who preceded the Olympian gods. Will you prefer to me this Latona, the Titans daughter, with her two children? He murdered his father-in-law and could find no one to purify him until Zeus did so and admitted him as a guest to Olympus. He was married to the goddess Hera. A peeved Zeus responded by taking fire away from mankind, and wiping its secret from human minds, so they would have to eat meat row, and shiver from the cold in the dark of night. Roman name: Jupiter. Many of his mistresses and their children fell afoul of Heras terrible temper. Hera was almost always depicted as being jealous of these children, to the point that she was driven to vindictiveness. In the second century, AD, the geographer Pausanias reported seeing a sepulcher of Tantalus, and visiting a port bearing his name. In addition to her noble birth and descent from a king, Niobe was a stunning beauty. Though Prometheus was considered to be a cultural hero who was credited for creating humanity, he was nothing but a . He sneaked in and untied the king of . When Zeus looked down from the heavens and saw the dark of night dispelled by the flicker of fires, he grew livid. Some nymphs in Greek mythology were famous, but others were only known in a certain time Charybdis: The Deadly Whirpool of Greek Mythology, Nymphs: The Many Nature Spirits of Ancient Greece, Hecate Greek Goddess of Witchcraft : The Complete Guide. Chiron a mythical being with the lower body of a horse, and the torso and upper body of a human was notable in Greek legend for his youth-nurturing nature. The Greek deities were often depicted as sadist bullies, itching for an excuse to inflict suffering upon the less powerful, and getting a kick out of doing so. He first married the Titaness Metis, but turned her into a fly and swallowed her when he learned that her son would eventually overthrow him. When Zeus heard, he couldnt believe that Ixion, whom he had rescued and cleansed of his guilt, then honored by hosting him in heaven, could be so ungrateful and brazen. That impiety shocked the Thebans, and they returned to their daily pursuits in awestruck silence and trepidation. They would pray, ask for help in any kind of situation, and do sacrifices for them. The unfortunate Actaeon on the other hand, endured a divine punishment despite not having done anything of his own volition that could have justified his fate. From its towers, they watched the Theban youths engaged in sports below, while the Latona festival in honor of their mother was ignored. The astonished and livid Zeus expelled the ingrate from Olympus, and blasted his former guest with a thunderbolt. He took the form of a bull to abduct and ravish the Phoenician princess, Europa. Danaus was the twin brother of the mythical king Aegyptus of Egypt, and the twins had some serious sibling rivalry going on. He is also the God of Law, Order, Justice, Power, Human Fate and the Human Race. Eventually, a more perfect Olympian marriage would be exemplified by Heracles and Heras own daughter, Hebe. Unfortunately, Sisyphus cunning was combined with questionable ethics, which got him in trouble with the gods, particularly with Zeus. She eventually swam to Egypt, where Zeus finally restored her to human form. He and his wife then ruled Argos, inaugurating a dynasty that ran that city for centuries. Not to be outdone, Artemis strung her bow, and slew all seven of Niobes daughters. She was one of Zeus many lovers and like most came to an unfortunate end due to Hera's jealous hatred. So behind Zeus back, he started hitting on and pursuing Hera. Making it worse for those who gave in to Zeus, or were raped by him, was having to deal . Hera's weapon was not so straightforward. Our editors will review what youve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. To exacerbate the unfairness of it all, Leto had been Zeus mistress before he married Hera, so the chief god had not even been cheating on his wife at the time. When Argus was finally out, Hermes grabbed a stone and smashed his head in, and freed Io from her tether so Zeus could get some loving time with his bovine mistress. The gods thought, for some reason, that few punishments are more terrible than an eternity of futile and hopeless labor. Zeus' Wife Punished His Mistress by Driving Her Mad, Forced to Wander the Earth in Torment. The Argives were impressed by the arrival of fifty beauties rowing a boat, and even more so by their father, whom they made their king. b) ancient humans did not have the technology that we do. His symbols include the lightning bolt, the eagle, the bull, and the oak tree. For that, the gods subjected her to a terrible punishment. Niobe, in Greek myth, was a daughter of Tantalus, who got his own dose of terrible divine punishment from the gods see previous entry. However, he ended up abusing that divine favor, committed a variety of offenses that angered the Olympians, and brought divine punishment upon himself. According to Hesiod, why did Zeus create Pandora? The Rocky Relationship of Zeus and Hera. However, she committed the sin of hubris a mixture of extreme pride, dangerous overconfidence, and overweening arrogance. So Alcmene exposed her half god child, who was taken up by Athena to see Hera. Being Zeus mistress was tough. Zeus was the king of the Greek gods who lived on Mount Olympus. There, Dionysus was rescued by the sea nymph Thetis, who kindly received the wine god and sheltered him in an undersea cave. Corrections? In Greek legend, Sisyphus was a king of Corinth, and the founder of the Isthmian Games one of the Ancient Greeks four major games, which included the Olympics. There, the chief god devised a punishment that became a proverbial term for temptation. Io supposedly settled in Egypt and her descendants became the first kings there. Hera, titled the Queen of Heaven, reigned from the gods' home atop Mount Olympus as the wife and sister and wife of Zeus, chief god of the Greek pantheon. Fortunately, Thetis helped Zeus by summoning Briareus to help free the God from his shackles. As a punishment, Hera takes away Echo's voice so that she is only able to repeat whatever she hears. According to some stories, Zeus then turned Io . Tantalus was also the great grandfather of Menelaus, the Spartan king and cuckolded husband of Helen of Troy, and his brother Agamemnon, who commanded the Greeks in the Trojan War.