The goddess Hera is represented in mythology as an irascible wife and imperfect mother in the face of a frivolous Zeus. Beginning with the Iliad, many narrative traditions depict her wrath, the infidelities of her royal husband and the persecutions to which she subjects his illegitimate offspring. But how to relate this image to the cults of the sovereign goddess in her sanctuaries across Greece? This book uses the Hera of Zeus to open up new perspectives for understanding the society of the gods, the fate of heroes and the lives of men. As the intimate enemy of Zeus but also the fierce guardian of the legitimacy and integrity of the Olympian family, she takes shape in more subtle and complex ways that make it possible to rethink the configuration of power in ancient Greece, with the tensions that inhabited it, and thus how polytheism works.

‘This book is a valuable collection of aspects and details of Hera … this collection of Hera’s actions and interactions well worth reviewing when considering the phenomenon of this goddess.’

Patricia Johnston Source: Bryn Mawr Classical Review

‘We can affirm that it is a well-constructed book, aimed at the specialist and with great academic rigor. In addition, it has value as a reference book and competently updates new visions on the interaction between mythology and cultural spaces. Finally, it embraces the most recent lines of thought on the construction of gender and intersectionality from a religious perspective.’

Elena Duce Pastor Source: ARYS. Antigüedad: Religiones y Sociedades