Zeus and Semele

Semele was a Zeus priestess. Zeus fell in love with her while soaring in the guise of an eagle. Semele became pregnant with his child after they became lovers. Hera, Zeus's wife, discovered his romance as Semele began boasting that Zeus was her lover. She pretended to be a human nurse and became friends with Semele. When Semele told her that her lover was Zeus, she pretended not to believe her and told her that she should demand that Zeus reveal himself in his true power. Furthermore, Semele would not know if Zeus loved her unless he made love to her as he did to his wife, Hera. Semele was young, and pregnancy can cause strange things, so she persuaded Zeus to fulfill her request.

When Zeus returned to Semele, she requested a boom, which he granted out of love. She then implored him to reveal his actual divine form to her. Zeus revealed himself to Semele because he couldn't break a promise. She was burned to death as a result of her inability to endure the magnificent sight. By sewing the fetus into his thigh, Zeus was able to save her child. Dionysus was born a few months later as a result of this.