Hera’s Serpents

Hera first utilized her magical abilities to stop the young Hercules from ascending to the throne of Mycenae. Despite Zeus's declaration that his son would rule the Mycenaean realm, Hera's interference led to the weak Eurystheus, a different infant boy, to become a leader instead.

After the baby Alcides (Hercules) was eventually returned by the goddess Athena to his mortal mother Alcmene and his stepfather Amphitryon, the couple accepted their fate after recognizing that raising the child was the Gods' will. However, Hera hadn't forgotten about Alcmene's son from her husband Zeus, so Alcides' problems persisted. Hera dispatched two serpents to kill the 8-month-old twins because she was unsure whether of Alcmene's boys was the demigod. Iphicles started to sob frightenedly as the snakes climbed the crib the brothers shared.

On the other hand, Alcides grabbed both snakes and killed them. Amphitryon, in deep concern, sought advice from the learned Theban prophet Tiresias, who reassured him that Alcides would only be the first of many monsters he would defeat in his lifetime. out of concern for their son's safety and in an effort to mollify Hera, Alcides' parents gave him the new name Heracles, which is Greek for "glory of Hera". A subsequent Romanization of the name is Hercules.