Zeus, however, did not have such a strong resolve and fell in love with many human women and a few goddesses. This did not sit well with Hera, as she was widely known for being jealous and vengeful toward her husband's lovers and their children. She is also portrayed as being beautiful and very regal, always wearing her crown.
FAMOUS TALES.
Hera was born to Cronus and Rhea and spent her first years inside her father's stomach until she and her sibling were rescued by Zeus. He then won over her trust and her love and they were married. Zeus had many affairs and Hera spent many of her efforts trying to wreak havoc upon Zeus's affairs and punish his mistresses. .
Heracles is an excellent example of this as he is one of Zeus' illegitimate children. Hera drove Hercules to madness, and he killed his children by his wife, Megara. Another example is Semele, the daughter of Cadmus and Harmonia and a mortal. Zeus had fallen in love with her and promised to grant any wish she desired. Hera took the form of an elderly woman and advised her to wish to see his true form, and Semele obliged, burning to ashes upon seeing his true form, as such a sight is sure to kill a mortal. Zeus took the child she carried and put him inside his thigh until the time came for Dionysus to be born. When Hera recognized the child as Zeus's illegitimate son, she sent the titans (among other creatures) to kill him. .
However, they were unsuccessful and Dionysus eventually made the transition into god. Hera punished the goddess Leto for Zeus' indiscretion by threatening to curse any land that gave her refuge to bear her son Apollo. It was months before she came across the floating island of Delos, which was neither land nor water and she could give birth without worry. Even so, Hera kidnapped her daughter Eileithyia, the goddess of childbirth, and forced her to prolong Leto's labour for nine months until her son Hephaestus could be born before Leto's son Apollo.
