Hera, the queen of the Greek gods, is most commonly symbolized by the peacock, the cow, and the pomegranate. These symbols reflect her roles as a goddess of marriage, childbirth, and royal authority, and they appear consistently in ancient Greek art and literature.
Who Is Hera in Greek Mythology?
Hera is one of the twelve Olympian deities and the wife and sister of Zeus in the standard Greek pantheon. According to Hesiod’s Theogony, she is the daughter of the Titans Cronus and Rhea, making her a sibling to Zeus, Poseidon, Hades, Demeter, and Hestia. Her primary domain is marriage and the family, but she also presides over childbirth and is often depicted as a majestic, solemn figure on a throne, holding a scepter or a lotus staff.
In myth, Hera is famously jealous of Zeus’s many affairs and often directs her wrath at his mortal lovers and their offspring. For example, she tormented Heracles (Hercules) throughout his life and sent snakes to kill him when he was an infant. Despite this, she was also a protector of women and a patron of lawful marriage, and she had her own important sanctuaries, such as the Heraion of Argos and the Heraion of Samos.
The Peacock: Hera’s Most Recognizable Symbol
The peacock became associated with Hera through the myth of Argus Panoptes, a hundred-eyed giant. According to Ovid’s Metamorphoses, Hera set Argus to guard the cow-form of Io, one of Zeus’s mortal lovers. When Hermes killed Argus on Zeus’s orders, Hera took his hundred eyes and placed them on the tail feathers of her favorite bird, the peacock. This story explains why the peacock’s tail is covered in eye-like patterns.
In Greek art, the peacock appears on vases, coins, and reliefs from the classical period onward, often at Hera’s side or pulling her chariot. The bird symbolizes her watchfulness, her regal bearing, and her all-seeing nature as queen of the gods. The peacock is also a symbol of renewal and immortality in some later traditions, but in Greek contexts it is firmly tied to Hera’s mythic role.
The Cow: Hera’s Ancient and Fertile Symbol
The cow is one of Hera’s oldest symbols, predating the peacock in the historical record. In Homer’s Iliad, Hera is called “ox-eyed” (boōpis), an epithet that emphasizes her large, beautiful eyes and her connection to cattle. This epithet appears frequently in epic poetry and suggests a very early link between the goddess and the cow, possibly dating back to a time when she was a more maternal earth goddess.
The cow represents fertility, nourishment, and the nurturing aspects of marriage and motherhood. In cult practice, cows were often sacrificed to Hera, and her sanctuaries sometimes kept herds of sacred cattle. The myth of Io, whom Hera tormented as a heifer, also reinforces this connection: Io was a priestess of Hera, and her transformation into a cow ties the goddess to bovine imagery even in a story of jealousy and punishment.
The Pomegranate: Symbol of Marriage and Death
The pomegranate is a less obvious but equally important symbol of Hera. This fruit, with its many seeds, was associated in Greek culture with fertility, marriage, and the underworld. In art, Hera is sometimes shown holding a pomegranate, and it appears on coins from cities that worshipped her, such as Argos and Samos.
The pomegranate’s connection to Hera likely stems from its role in marriage rituals: brides in ancient Greece would offer pomegranates to the goddess to ensure a fruitful union. At the same time, the fruit’s link to Persephone’s abduction (she ate pomegranate seeds in the underworld) gives it a funerary connotation, reminding viewers that marriage and death were both transitions overseen by female divinities. For Hera, the pomegranate thus encapsulates her dual role as a goddess of life-giving marriage and of the inevitable end of mortal life.
Other Symbols and Attributes
Beyond the peacock, cow, and pomegranate, Hera is associated with several other objects and animals in Greek art and literature:
- Diadem and Scepter: These royal insignia mark her as queen of the gods. In statues, she often wears a tall crown (a polos) or a diadem and holds a scepter topped with a cuckoo or a lotus.
- The Cuckoo: According to myth, Zeus first courted Hera in the form of a cuckoo bird. She held the bird to her breast, and he then revealed himself. The cuckoo thus appears on some of her images as a reminder of their union.
- The Lily: In some vase paintings, Hera holds a lily, a flower that symbolizes purity and marriage.
- The Lion: Though less common, lions are sometimes depicted pulling Hera’s chariot, emphasizing her power and wild aspect.
- The Iris: The flower iris is named after the goddess Iris, Hera’s personal messenger, and is sometimes shown in her hand as a symbol of the rainbow and divine communication.
These attributes together paint a picture of a goddess who is both nurturing and formidable, deeply tied to the cycles of nature and the institution of marriage.
How Hera’s Symbols Were Used in Worship
In ancient Greek religion, Hera’s symbols were not just artistic motifs but were integrated into cult practice. At the Heraion of Argos, a major sanctuary dedicated to her, a wooden cult statue depicted Hera seated on a throne, holding a scepter and a pomegranate. The priestesses who served her, such as the famous priestess Chryseis in Homer’s Iliad, would have worn or carried symbols of the goddess during rituals.
Festivals like the Heraia, held at Argos and Olympia, included athletic competitions for women, possibly in honor of Hera. The games were said to have been founded by Hippodameia, the wife of Pelops, and the victors received crowns of olive leaves, a plant also sacred to Hera in some regions. The cow was the standard sacrifice to Hera, and the peacock was rarely sacrificed because it was considered her sacred bird. The pomegranate was offered in marriage ceremonies and sometimes placed in tombs, linking Hera to both the beginning and the end of life.
Hera’s Symbols in Art and Literature
Hera’s symbols appear across a wide range of ancient sources. In Homer’s Iliad, she is described as “ox-eyed” and is shown driving a chariot with wheels of bronze and spokes of silver. In the Homeric Hymn to Pythian Apollo, Hera is depicted as a powerful goddess who can cause storms and earthquakes, though her symbols are not explicitly listed. The poet Sappho, in a fragment, invokes Hera as “the one who is beautiful in her golden sandals,” suggesting a regal image.
In visual art, the most famous depiction of Hera is the Chryselephantine statue by Polykleitos at the Heraion of Argos, made of gold and ivory, showing her seated with a scepter and a pomegranate. This statue was described by the traveler Pausanias in the 2nd century AD, who noted that the goddess was crowned with a wreath of Graces and Seasons. On coins from Argos, Samos, and other cities, Hera is shown with a diadem, a veil, and sometimes a peacock or a cow at her side.
In Roman times, Hera was identified with Juno, and her symbols were largely carried over. Juno was also associated with the peacock and the cow, and she was worshipped as the protector of women and marriage. The peacock became a common motif in Roman mosaics and frescoes, often representing the empress or the goddess herself.
Common Misconceptions About Hera’s Symbols
One common misconception is that Hera’s only symbol is the peacock. While the peacock is indeed her most famous attribute, it is a later addition to her iconography, appearing mainly after the classical period. The cow is actually her oldest symbol, and the pomegranate is equally significant in cult contexts. Another misconception is that Hera was a purely vengeful goddess, but her symbols show a more complex nature: the cow and pomegranate point to fertility and life, while the peacock’s eyes suggest vigilance and wisdom, not just jealousy.
Some also confuse Hera’s symbols with those of other goddesses. For example, the cow is also associated with Hathor in Egypt and with Io in Greek myth, but in Greek religion it is specifically Hera’s animal. The pomegranate is shared with Persephone, but for Hera it has a marital rather than an underworld emphasis. Understanding the context of each symbol is key to interpreting Hera’s role in mythology.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Hera’s most common symbol?
Hera’s most common symbol in art and literature is the peacock, especially after the classical period. The peacock’s tail feathers, with their eye-like patterns, are said to represent the eyes of Argus, whom Hera had set to guard Io. However, in earlier Greek religion, the cow was equally important, and the pomegranate was a key cult symbol at her sanctuaries.
Why is Hera associated with cows?
Hera is called “ox-eyed” in Homer’s Iliad, an epithet that links her to cattle. This association likely dates back to her origins as a mother goddess of fertility and agriculture. Cows were also the standard sacrificial animal offered to Hera, and she was worshipped in rural areas where cattle were central to the economy.
What does the pomegranate symbolize for Hera?
The pomegranate symbolizes fertility, marriage, and the cycle of life and death. In Greek marriage rituals, brides offered pomegranates to Hera to ensure a fruitful union. The fruit’s many seeds represent abundance, and its red color evokes blood and life. It also connects Hera to the underworld, as Persephone’s consumption of pomegranate seeds bound her to Hades.
Did Hera have any animal symbols besides the peacock?
Yes, Hera is also associated with the cow, the cuckoo, and the lion. The cuckoo is tied to Zeus’s courtship of Hera, as he disguised himself as the bird. Lions appear in some depictions pulling her chariot, symbolizing her power and wild nature. The cow is her oldest animal symbol, predating the peacock.
How do Hera’s symbols appear in modern culture?
Hera’s symbols, especially the peacock, appear in modern media as shorthand for royalty, pride, and female power. For example, the peacock is used in the logo of NBC, though that is not directly related to Hera. In literature and film, Hera is often portrayed with a peacock or in a chariot drawn by peacocks, as in the Percy Jackson series, which popularized this image for younger audiences.
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