Book 2, Goddesses: Chapter 8, Hera Summary and Analysis

This chapter is devoted to the story and powers of Hera. Her location in the Olympian family is high and strange. In the ancient Grecian mythos, there were three generations of incestuous relationships. This mainly appears to be a direct consequence of how multiplication does yield diversity. By the fourth generation, people could be at least as distant as cousins with respect to mating. In Hera's case, her own brother is actually her husband. This also means that her husband is her brother. According to the story presented, the reason for this is that she was able to resist his amorous aggressions until or unless he agreed to be her husband. Most of Zeus's lovers were not his wife.

The author introduces Hera as the first of the vulnerable, relationship oriented goddesses. These can operate...