# Hera — The Iliad character guide

> Hera in The Iliad by Homer.

**Role:** supporting

**Also known as:** Juno, Argive Juno, queenly Juno, imperial Juno

**First appearance:** 0001-the-iliad

## Snapshot

Queen of the gods, whose implacable hatred of Troy drives her to scheme against Zeus himself to aid the Greeks.

## Who they are

Hera sits beside Zeus in council but works ceaselessly to undermine his neutrality, furious at Troy for the judgment of Paris and determined to see the city fall. She rebukes Ares, manipulates the other gods, and will go to extraordinary lengths to distract her husband from the battlefield. Her relentless partisanship turns Olympus into a second front, and her cunning makes her the most dangerous force the Trojans face.

## Relationships

### [Achilles](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_iliad_se/characters/achilles)

_friendship_

Hera favors Achilles and the Greeks, often intervening to support him against the Trojans.

### [Hector](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_iliad_se/characters/hector)

_rivalry_

Hera opposes Hector as a Trojan champion, actively working to ensure his downfall.

### [Achilles](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_iliad_se/characters/achilles)

_friendship_

Hera favors Achilles and the Greeks, often intervening to support him against the Trojans.

### [Achilles](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_iliad_se/characters/achilles)

_friendship_

Hera favors Achilles and the Greeks, often intervening to support him against the Trojans.

## In the story

### [Book I: The Contention of Achilles and Agamemnon](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_iliad_se/chapters/book-i-the-contention-of-achilles-and-agamemnon)

Sends Athena to restrain Achilles and later quarrels with Zeus over his promise to Thetis.

### [Book IV: The Breaking of the Truce, and the First Battle](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_iliad_se/chapters/book-iv-the-breaking-of-the-truce-and-the-first-battle)

Argues passionately for Troy's destruction; persuades Zeus to allow the war to continue.

### [Book VIII: The Second Battle](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_iliad_se/chapters/book-viii-the-second-battle)

Attempts to aid the Greeks by moving Agamemnon and later tries to join battle with Athena, but is stopped by Zeus.

### [Book XIV: The Fraud Practised on Jupiter by Juno](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_iliad_se/chapters/book-xiv-the-fraud-practised-on-jupiter-by-juno)

Borrows Aphrodite's cestus and seduces Zeus to put him to sleep, enabling Poseidon's intervention.

### [Book XV: The Fifth Battle at the Ships](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_iliad_se/chapters/book-xv-the-fifth-battle-at-the-ships)

Hera denies having instigated Neptune's aid to the Greeks and swears an oath, then is sent by Zeus to summon Iris and Apollo.

### [Book XXI: The Battle in the River Scamander](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_iliad_se/chapters/book-xxi-the-battle-in-the-river-scamander)

Calls upon Hephaestus to use fire against the river Scamander.

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_iliad_se/characters/hera
- Book: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_iliad_se
- All characters: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_iliad_se/characters