Editing Hera (section)

=== Trojan War ===
{{Main|Judgement of Paris}}
[[File:Judgement of Paris Met 98.8.11.jpg|thumb|right|280px|Judgement of Paris.Side B from an Attic black-figure neck amphora, 540-530BC. [[Metropolitan Museum of Art]]]]

A prophecy stated that a son of the sea-nymph [[Thetis]], with whom Zeus fell in love after gazing upon her in the oceans off the Greek coast, would become greater than his father.<ref>Scholiast on Homer's ''[[Iliad]]''; Hyginus, ''[[Fabulae]]'' 54; Ovid, ''[[Metamorphoses]]'' 11.217.</ref> Possibly for this reason,<ref>[[Bibliotheca (Pseudo-Apollodorus)|Apollodorus]], [https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Apollod.+1.1.1&redirect=true 3.168].</ref> Thetis was betrothed to an elderly human king, [[Peleus]] son of [[Aeacus]], either upon Zeus's orders,<ref>[[Pindar#Chronological order|Pindar]], ''Nemean'' 5 ep2; Pindar, ''Isthmian'' 8 str3–str5.</ref> or because she wished to please Hera, who had raised her.<ref>Hesiod, ''[[Catalogue of Women]]'' fr. 57; ''[[Cypria]]'' fr. 4.</ref> All the gods and goddesses as well as various mortals were invited to the marriage of Peleus and Thetis (the eventual parents of [[Achilles]]) and brought many gifts.<ref>Photius, ''Myrobiblion'' 190.</ref> Only Eris, goddess of discord, was not invited and was stopped at the door by Hermes, on Zeus's order. She was annoyed at this, so she threw from the door a gift of her own:<ref>Hyginus, ''[[Fabulae]]'' 92.</ref> a [[golden apple]] inscribed with the word καλλίστῃ (kallistēi, "To the fairest").<ref>[[Bibliotheca (Pseudo-Apollodorus)|Apollodorus]], [https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.01.0022%3Atext%3DEpitome%3Abook%3DE%3Achapter%3D2%3Asection%3D2 E.3.2].</ref> [[Aphrodite]], Hera, and Athena all claimed to be the fairest, and thus the rightful owner of the apple.
[[File:Mengs, Urteil des Paris.jpg|thumb|left|240px|This is one of the [[Judgement of Paris#Gallery|many works]] depicting the event. Hera is the goddess in the center, wearing the crown. ''Das Urteil des Paris'' by [[Anton Raphael Mengs]], ca. 1757]]

The goddesses quarreled bitterly over it, and none of the other gods would venture an opinion favoring one, for fear of earning the enmity of the other two. They chose to place the matter before Zeus, who, not wanting to favor one of the goddesses, put the choice into the hands of [[Paris (mythology)|Paris]], a [[Troy|Trojan]] prince. After bathing in the spring of [[Mount Ida]] where Troy was situated, they appeared before Paris to have him choose. The goddesses undressed before him, either at his request or for the sake of winning. Still, Paris could not decide, as all three were ideally beautiful, so they resorted to bribes. Hera offered Paris political power and control of all of [[Asia Minor|Asia]], while Athena offered wisdom, fame, and glory in battle, and Aphrodite offered the most beautiful mortal woman in the world as a wife, and he accordingly chose her. This woman was [[Helen of Troy|Helen]], who was, unfortunately for Paris, already married to King [[Menelaus]] of [[Sparta#Prehistory, "dark age" and archaic period|Sparta]]. The other two goddesses were enraged by Paris' decision and, after the [[Trojan War]] started through Helen's abduction by Paris, they sided with the Greeks.[[File:Theoi Cdm Paris 229.jpg|thumb|left|280px|'''English:''' Hermes, Athena, Zeus (seated), Hera and Ares (all named). Side A of an Attic black-figure neck-amphora, end of 6th century BC. [[BnF Museum]], Paris]]
Hera plays a substantial role in ''[[The Iliad]]'', appearing in several books throughout the epic poem. She makes many attempts to thwart the Trojan Army. In books 1 and 2, Hera declares that the Trojans must be destroyed and persuades [[Athena]] to aid the [[Achaeans (Homer)|Achaeans]] in battle, and she agrees to assist with interfering on their behalf.<ref name="Iliad">{{cite book|last1=Homer|title=The Iliad|url=https://archive.org/details/theiliad02199gut}}</ref>

In book 5, Hera and Athena plot to harm [[Ares]], who had been seen by [[Diomedes]] in assisting the Trojans. Diomedes called for his soldiers to fall back slowly. Hera saw Ares's interference and asked Zeus for permission to drive Ares away from the battlefield. Hera encouraged Diomedes to attack Ares and he threw his spear at the god. Athena drove the spear into Ares's body, and he bellowed in pain and fled to [[Mount Olympus]], forcing the Trojans to fall back.<ref name="Iliad" />

In book 8, Hera tries to persuade [[Poseidon]] to disobey Zeus and help the Achaean army. He refuses, saying he doesn't want to go against Zeus. Determined to intervene in the war, Hera and Athena head to the battlefield. However, seeing the two flee, Zeus sent Iris to intercept them and make them return to Mount Olympus or face grave consequences. After prolonged fighting, Hera sees Poseidon aiding the Greeks and giving them the motivation to keep fighting.

In book 14 Hera devises a plan to deceive Zeus. Zeus set a decree that the gods were not allowed to interfere in the mortal war. Hera is on the side of the Achaeans, so she plans a [[Deception of Zeus]] where she seduces him, with help from Aphrodite, and tricks him into a deep sleep, with the help of [[Hypnos]], so that the Gods could interfere without the fear of Zeus.<ref>Homer. ''Iliad'', Book 14, Lines 153-353.</ref>

In book 21, Hera continues her interference with the battle as she tells [[Hephaestus]] to prevent the river from harming [[Achilles]]. Hephaestus sets the battlefield ablaze, causing the river to plead with Hera, promising her he will not help the Trojans if Hephaestus stops his attack. Hephaestus stops his assault and Hera returns to the battlefield where the gods begin to fight amongst themselves. After Apollo declines to battle Poseidon, [[Artemis]] eagerly engages Hera for a duel. Hera however treats the challenge as unimportant, easily disarming the haughty rival goddess and beating her with her own weapons. Artemis is left retreating back to [[Mount Olympus]] in tears to cry at Zeus's lap.<ref name="Iliad" />