Junon : the goddess queen
Juno is the wife of Jupiter. She is the queen of gods and protector of the women. Omnipresent divinity in the Roman company, it occupies an essential place in the Roman religion.
Two columns are dedicated here to the goddess Juno. The columns present the legendary history, the diverse naming which are attributed to him, the rites bound to his cult and the temples which are devolved to him.
Latin name: Juno.
Greek name: Hera.
Function(Office): Juno is the queen of gods.
Parents(Relatives): Saturn and Ops
Brothers and sisters: Jupiter, Pluto, Neptune, Ceres, Vesta.
Children: Juno had four children: red admiral, Lucine, Hébé and Mars. Three of these children are also the children of Jupiter. Juno would have conceived alone the fourth child who would be according to the legends Mars either Hébé.
Juno has a messenger: iris.
The goddess Juno is the Roman version of the Greek goddess Hera. Romain also adopts the Greek mythology relative to the goddess.
Juno was born at the same time as his brother Jupiter. Saturn had for habit to devour his children. He devoured his daughter Juno while she was a baby. Become an adult, Jupiter freed her and married her.
Often deceived by Jupiter, Juno is represented as a vindictive goddess, taking revenge for women and for courted divinities or pursued by her husband. She does not hesitate to take revenge on the children arisen from these unions.
Certain Latin authors complete the legend of Juno. Ovide tells certain episodes of the story of Juno in the Metamorphoses, he also evokes Juno in The Splendors. Virgile also grants a place important for the goddess Juno in Enéide.
THE GODDESS JUNO AND THE HEIFER IO JUNO
notices that the world is plunged into the darkness. She understands that it is the guile of Jupiter that pursues Io of his diligences. Juno leaves in search of Jupiter and comes down on earth. But the god transformed Io into heifer to mask his actions in his wife. Juno discovers however the trickery. The heifer is magnificent. Juno admires its beauty and pretends to believe that it is an ordinary cow. She questions Jupiter on her subject and questions it about the owner of the animal. Juno obtains obtains from Jupiter that the heifer is offered to him. But the goddess is worried. She is afraid that Jupiter kidnaps Io, the girl transformed into heifer. She thus entrusts Io the heifer to Argus, the guard with hundred eyes. But Jupiter makes murder Argus. Juno collects hundred eyes of the guard and places them on the feathers of the peacock, its bird totem. Furious, Juno decides to take revenge on Io. She throws the merciless fury Erynie on the heifer. The fury torments the heifer which runs away to Egypt. Jupiter begs then Juno to end the agonies of Io. He promises to Juno not to request any more Io. Juno calms down and returns to Io its young woman’s appearance.
JUNO AND THE NYMPH CALLISTO
The nymph Callisto gives birth to a boy engendered by Jupiter. Juno discovers the fact. Jupiter assaulted the nymph but the goddess does not take into account it. Furious, jealous person of the beauty of the young woman, Juno transforms Callisto into she-bear and sentences her to the wandering. Callisto loses the power of speech and grumbles from now on as a she-bear.
JUNO AND SEMELE
Furious against Europe which was courted by Jupiter, Juno decides to take revenge on his family. Sémélé, niece of Europe has an affair with Jupiter. Juno thus takes himself to the girl. She takes the appearance of the nursemaid of the girl and advises him to ask to the god to appear to him under her divine shape.Jupiter cannot refuse and appears reluctantly as divinity. The appearance is unbearable. The young woman is brought down by the aura of the god.
JUNO AND TIRESIAS
Tirésias undergoes the vindication of Juno because he has sided with Jupiter in a discussion which brought into conflict the god and the goddess. The discussion, at the beginning cheerful, turns out badly. Tirésias agrees with Jupiter. Furious, Juno returns blind Tirésias.
THE GODDESS JUNO AND INO
Juno decides to punish Ino, member of the family of Europe (She is the sister of Sémélé). The goddess comes down to Hell and explains that she wants to cause the end of the kingdom of Cadmos. She wants to drive crazy Athamas. She asks the Furies to help him. The Fury Tisiphone accepts. Iris cleanses Juno who gets back then to heavens. Tisiphone leaves Hell and makes Athamas sink into the madness, causing the loss of Athamas and Ino. The partners of Ino judge inequitable and cruel Juno. Furious, Juno decides to transform them ” monuments of its cruelty “. The goddess transforms them then into rocks and into birds.
THE GODDESS JUNO AND LATONE
Latone, encircled of work of Jupiter, is pursued by Juno. She escapes the goddess and takes refuge with Délos the time to give birth to twins: Apollo and Diane. Then she has to flee again but this time accompanied with her children.
JUNO AND HERCULE
Juno pursues Hercule of its vindication and imposes him twelve works.
THE GODDESS AND EGINE
The island of Egine bears the name of a mistress of Jupiter. Wild with jealousy, Juno sends the plague on the ïle. The air is polluted, heat is stifling and the island is plunged into darkness. Sources are polluted. The island is ravaged during four months.
CEYX Alcyoné waits for the return of his husband Céyx. She implores Juno. But Céyx died. Juno does not anymore support to be so called but she does not want to warn directly Alcyoné. She sends Iris to ask the Sleep to teach the sad piece of news Alcyoné. The Sleep asks Morphé to carry out this mission.
THE ENEIDE
Juno supported the Greeks during the Trojan War. After this war, she pursues Enée of her vindication.
THE STORM
Juno likes particularly Carthage and wishes its ascendancy. But she knows that a rising race will destroy Carthage. His hatred to the surviving Trojans is thus revived. She decides to rule out the Trojans of the path leading them in Italy. She goes to Eolie and asks in Aeolus to start a storm.
DIDON
Juno discovers then that Didon is in love with Enée. The goddess suggests finally in Venus uniting the fates of Enée and Didon. Juno so thinks of keeping remote Enée of Italy. Venus accepts. During a thunderstorm, Didon and Enée refugient in a cave. Didon speaks about marriage for the first time in this cave. Juno is present and watches as well as Tellus. But this history will come to a sudden end. Mercury orders Enée to leave Didon. When Enée abandons him, queen Didon commits suicide but a hair holds her to life. Juno intervenes and asks Iris to cut this hair.
SICILY
During the stopover of Enée in Sicily, Juno intervenes. While the men go to the grave of Anchise, Juno sends Iris to convince the Trojan women to set on fire boats. The goddess makes them glitter the possibility of staying in Sicily.
ALLECTO
The Trojans go in Italy. Juno is furious when Enée and his companions decide to settle down in the Lazio. Juno decides to bring in the Fury Allecto. She asks Allecto to cause a war enter Latin and Trojan. Allecto goes to queen’s Amata’s, who appreciate hardly the arrival of the Trojans. The Fury urges at first queen Amata to intervene with Latinus. The queen advocates for Turnus, king of the Rutules. Then Allecto intervenes, appearing in front of king of the Rutules under the lines of Calibé, the old priestess of Juno. She urges him to react and declares him that Juno wants the war.
The Fury intervenes then with the farmers. Allecto throws the dogs of Ascagne after a deer tamed by the family of master of the royal herds. Ascagne hurts the deer. The farmers want to avenge the animal. Allecto, very proud of its work, suggests to Juno continuing to cause wars but Juno does not want to annoy Jupiter. Juno sends back then the Fury Allecto to Hell.
THE DOORS OF THE WAR
Latinus refuses to open the doors of the War and takes refuge with his palace. Juno intervenes and opens them.
TURNUS
Juno asks Iris to convince Turnus to occupy the camp of Enée. Turnus attacks the camp but the Trojans resist.
In front of the assembly of the gods, Juno, furious, accuses Venus of being responsible for conflicts in the Lazio. Juno claims to have intervened in the name of the right of Latin. Jupiter refuses to take a stand. But Juno asks for a protection for Turnus. She obtains to shield him temporarily from the death. She pulls Turnus on a ship by taking the appearance of the ghost of Enée and she breaks ropes. Turnus wants to get back to the bank but Juno prevents him from it.
When a duel has to set Enée against Turnus, Juno tries to shield Turnus by means of the nymph Juturne, the sister of king.
LAZIO
Jupiter orders to Juno to stop annoying the fate. Juno accepts and abandons the protection which she granted to Turnus. But she obtains that the Lazio keeps its name. Jupiter declares to him while the Lazio will have a quite particular devotion for her.