Athena and Herakles a Divine Couple? The Use Of Ancient Sexual Artistic Conventions In Context

Regarding the exceptional strength of Herakles

I constantly see it claimed that Herakles owes his extraordinary strength to the fact that Hera breastfed him, but so far I have been unable to find a single source stating this. Here are a few that mention Hera unknowingly nursing Herakles (or other sons of Zeus), in no specific order:

Pseudo-Eratosthenes, Epitome 44: "It was not possible for sons of Zeus to have any share in the honours of the sky unless they had been suckled at Hera's breast; and that is why Hermes, so they say, brought Heracles along after his birth and placed him at Hera's breast, for him to be suckled at it; but when Hera became aware of it, she thrust him away, and the rest of her milk spilled out accordingly to make up the milky circle."

Pseudo-Hyginus, Astronomy 2.43: "There is also a circle in the heavens which is white in color, and which men have called the milky circle. Eratosthenes recounts in his Hermes that Hera unknowingly gave milk to the infant Hermes, but when she came to realize that he was Maia's son, she pushed him away; and that is why a bright trail of spilled milk can be seen among the stars. Others have said that Heracles was placed at Hera's breast while she was asleep, and she acted as has just been described when she woke up. Or according to other authors, Heracles was so greedy that he sucked in so much milk that he could not keep it in his mouth, and what spilled out from his mouth is shown in this circle."

Diodoros of Sicily, Library of History 4.9.6-7: "After Alcmenê had brought forth the babe, fearful of Hera’s jealousy she exposed it at a place which to this time is called after him the Field of Heracles. Now at this very time Athena, approaching the spot in the company of Hera and being amazed at the natural vigour of the child, persuaded Hera to offer it the breast. But when the boy tugged upon her breast with greater violence than would be expected at his age, Hera was unable to endure the pain and cast the babe from her, whereupon Athena took it to its mother and urged her to rear it And anyone may well be surprised at the unexpected turn of the affair; for the mother whose duty it was to love her own offspring was trying to destroy it, while she who cherished towards it a stepmother’s hatred, in ignorance saved the life of one who was her natural enemy."

Pausanias, Description of Greece 9.25.2: "There is shown a place where according to the Thebans Hera was deceived by Zeus into giving the breast to Heracles when he was a baby."

(Geoponika 11.19 -Concerning the Lily: "When Jupiter had Hercules by Alcmena, who was mortal, he wished to make him partaker of immortality; and he laid him to Juno's breast, when she was asleep, while he was in the state of infancy; and the infant being satisfied with milk, turned away from the breast, but the milk spewed copiously when the infant was removed-; and what was difused in the sky made what is called the milky-way; and what flowed on the earth and tinged its surface, produced the lily, which is like milk in respect of colour."

None of these suggest, let alone state outright, that Herakles got his strength from Hera. In the Dionysiaca Hera is forced to breastfed Dionysos, and the benefit he is said to get from this is not strength, but access to Olympos (and a cure ffrom madness?): "Do not fail your provoked husband; but go uncaught to the fertile slope of the woodland pastures of India, and offer your breast to Bacchos as once did my mother Rheia; let him draw with his lips older grown your holy drops, and by that draught lead him on the way to Olympos and make heaven lawful ground for the feet of earthborn Dionysos! Anoint with your milk the body of Lyaios, and cleanse the ugly stains of mind-robbing disease. And I offer you a worthy reward; for I will place in Olympos a circle, image of that flow named after Hera's milk, to honour the allfamous sap of your saviour breast."

The only explanation I've found for Herakles' strength is this, From Diodoros of Sicily's Library of History 4.9.2: "Consequently the sources of this descent, in their entirety, lead back, as is claimed, through both his parents to the greatest of the gods, in the manner we have shown. The prowess which was found in him was not only to be seen in his deeds, but was also recognized even before his birth. For when Zeus lay with Alcmenê he made the night three times its normal length and by the magnitude of the time expended on the procreation he presaged the exceptional might of the child which would be begotten."

So does anyone know of a source for this idea? Plz help, I'm feeling gaslit by the world!

"When Jupiter had Hercules by Alcmena, who was mortal, he wished to make him partaker of immortality; and he laid him to Juno's breast, when she was asleep, while he was in the state of infancy; and the infant being satisfied with milk, turned away from the breast, but the milk spewed copiously when the infant was removed-; and what was difused in the sky made what is called the milky-way; and what flowed on the earth and tinged its surface, produced the lily, which is like milk in respect of colour." (Geoponika Book 11, XIX -CONCERNING THE LILY)

"There is a story that when Heracles the son of Alcmena was sacrificing at Olympia he was much worried by the flies. So either on his own initiative or at somebody's suggestion he sacrificed to Zeus Averter of Flies, and thus the flies were diverted to the other side of the Alpheius. It is said that in the same way the Eleans too sacrifice to Zeus Averter of Flies, to drive the flies out of Olympia." (Pausanias, Description of Greece 5.14.1)

This is so funny to me for some reason. God save us from flies!

"The Lacedaemonians are the only Greeks who surname Hera Goat-eater, and sacrifice goats to the goddess. They say that Heracles founded the sanctuary and was the first to sacrifice goats, because in his fight against Hippocoon and his children he met with no hindrance from Hera, although in his other adventures he thought that the goddess opposed him. He sacrificed goats, they say, because he lacked other kinds of victims." (Pausanias, Description of Greece 3.15.9)

He really went "Thanks a lot for not messing this one up for me. Have a sanctuary and sacrifice to express my gratitude.", didn't he?

Diodorus Siculus, Library of History 4.9.3: "And, in general, he did not effect this union from the desire of love, as he did in the case of other women, but rather only for the sake of procreation. Consequently, desiring to give legality to his embraces, he did not choose to offer violence to Alcmenê, and yet he could not hope to persuade her because of her chastity; and so, deciding to use deception, he deceived Alcmenê by assuming in every respect the shape of Amphitryon."

Galanthis/Galinthias is such an underrated badass, that clever weasel!

"At Thebes Proetus had a daughter Galinthias. This maiden was playmate and companion of Alcmene, daughter of Electryon. As the birth throes for Heracles were pressing on Alcmene, the Fates and Eileithyia, as a favour to Hera, kept Alcmene in continuous birth pangs. They remained seated, each keeping their arms crossed. Galinthias, fearing that the pains of her labour would drive Alcmene mad, ran to the Fates and Eileithyia and announced that by desire of Zeus a boy had been born to Alcmene and that their prerogatives had been abolished. At all this, consternation of course overcame the Fates and they immediately let go their arms. Alcmene's pangs ceased at once and Heracles was born. The Fates were aggrieved at this and took away the womanly parts of Galinthias since, being but a mortal, she had deceived the gods. They turned her into a deceitful weasel, making her live in crannies and gave her a grotesque way of mating. She is mounted through the ears and gives birth by bringing forth her young through the throat. Hecate felt sorry for this transformation of her appearance and appointed her a sacred servant to herself. Heracles, when he grew up, remembered the favour she had done for him and made an image of her to set by his house and offered her sacrifices. The Thebans even now maintain these rites and, before the festival of Heracles, sacrifice to Galinthias first." (Antoninus Liberalis, Metamorphoses 29)

Get a bestie willing to deceive and piss off the Fates for you. 😢

Nonnos: Wait, why does Herakles get to suckle at Hera's breast and Dionysos doesn't? Why does Hera give her daughter as wife to Herakles but not to Dionysos??? How is this fair? Watch me fix it and prove that Herakles ain't that special.

Funny that Aphrodite seems to be fine with sharing Adonis with Dionysos or Apollon but when Herakles also gets interested she's like "Fuck off and die bitch".

I never really thought about this but since Hera sent two snakes into Amphitryon and Alkmene's house, it makes sense that she targeted both twins. It is possible she didn't know which child was Zeus's and wasn't willing to simply assume, so she decided to have both of them killed.