Hang Hera

But when the Trojans in their flight had passed over the palisade and the trench, and many had been vanquished beneath the hands of the Danaans, then beside their chariots they stayed, and were halted, pale with fear, terror-stricken; and Zeus awoke on the peaks of Ida beside Hera of the golden throne. Then he sprang up, and stood, and saw Trojans alike and Achaeans, these in rout, and the Argives driving them on from the rear, and amid them the lord Poseidon. And Hector he saw lying on the plain, while about him sat his comrades, and he was gasping with painful breath, distraught in mind, and vomiting blood; for not the weakest of the Achaeans was it that had smitten him. At sight of him the father of men and gods had pity, and with a dread glance from beneath his brows he spake to Hera, saying: "Hera, that art hard to deal with, it is the craft of thine evil wiles that hath stayed goodly Hector from the fight, and hath driven the host in rout. Verily I know not but thou shalt yet be the first to reap the fruits of thy wretched ill-contriving, and I shall scourge thee with stripes. Dost thou not remember when thou wast hung from on high, and from thy feet I suspended two anvils, and about thy wrists cast a band of gold that might not be broken? And in the air amid the clouds thou didst hang, and the gods had indignation throughout high Olympus; howbeit they availed not to draw nigh and loose thee. Nay, whomsoever I caught, I would seize and hurl from the threshold until he reached the earth, his strength all spent. Yet not even so was my heart eased of its ceaseless pain for godlike Heracles, whom thou when thou hadst leagued thee with the North Wind and suborned his blasts, didst send over the unresting sea, by thine evil devising, and thereafter didst bear him away unto well-peopled Cos. Him did I save from thence, and brought again to horse-pasturing Argos, albeit after he had laboured sore. Of these things will I mind thee yet again, that thou mayest cease from thy beguilings, to the end that thou mayest see whether they anywise avail thee, the dalliance and the couch, wherein thou didst lie with me when thou hadst come forth from among the gods, and didst beguile me."

So spake he, and the ox-eyed, queenly Hera shuddered; and she spake and addressed him with winged words: "Hereto now be Earth my witness and the broad Heaven above, and the down-flowing water of Styx, which is the greatest and most dread oath for the blessed gods, and thine own sacred head, and the couch of us twain, couch of our wedded love, whereby I verily would never forswear myself—not by my will doth Poseidon, the Shaker of Earth, work harm to the Trojans and Hector, and give succour to their foes. Nay, I ween, it is his own soul that urgeth and biddeth him on, and he hath seen the Achaeans sore-bested by their ships and taken pity upon them. But I tell thee, I would counsel even him to walk in that way, wherein thou, O lord of the dark cloud, mayest lead him."


- Homer, The Iliad, Book 15 (A. T. Murray translation)


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But after they had crossed back over the ditch and the sharp stakes
in flight, and many had gone down under the hands of the Danaäns,
they checked about once more and stood their ground by the chariots,
green for fear and terrified. But now Zeus wakened
by Hera of the gold throne on the high places of Ida,
and stood suddenly upright, and saw the Achaians and Trojans,
these driven to flight, the others harrying them in confusion,
these last Argives, and saw among them the lord Poseidon.
He saw Hektor lying in the plain, his companions sitting
around him, he dazed at the heart and breathing painfully,
vomiting blood, since not the weakest Achaian had hit him.
Then the father of gods and men seeing Hektor pitied him
and looked scowling terribly at Hera, and spoke a word to her:
“Hopeless one, it was your evil design, your treachery, Hera,
that stayed brilliant Hektor from battle, terrified his people.
I do not know, perhaps for this contrivance of evil
and pain you will win first reward when I lash you with whip strokes.
Do you not remember that time you hung from high and on your feet
I slung two anvils, and about your hands drove a golden
chain, unbreakable. You among the clouds and the bright sky
hung, nor could the gods about tall Olympos endure it
and stood about, but could not set you free. If I caught one
I would seize and throw him from the threshold, until he landed
stunned on the earth, yet even so the weariless agony
for Herakles the godlike would not let go my spirit.
You with the north wind’s aid winning over the stormwinds drove him
on across the desolate sea in evil intention
and then on these swept him away to Kos, the strong-founded.
I myself rescued him there and brought him back once more
to horse-pasturing Argos, when he had been through much hardship.
I will remind you of all this, so you will give up
your deceptions, see if your lovemaking in bed will help you,
that way you lay with me apart from the gods, and deceived me.”
He spoke, and the lady the ox-eyed goddess Hera was frightened
and she spoke to him and addressed him in winged words: “Now let
Earth be my witness in this, and the wide heaven above us,
and the dripping water of the Styx, which oath is the biggest
and most formidable oath among the blessed immortals.
The sanctity of your head be witness, and the bed of marriage
between us: a thing by which I at least could never swear vainly.
It is not through my will that the shaker of the earth Poseidon
afflicts the Trojans and Hektor and gives aid to the others,
but it is his own passion that urges him to it and drives him.
He saw the Achaians hard pressed beside their ships, and pitied them.
No, but I myself also would give him counsel
to go with you, O dark clouded, that way that you lead us.”


- Homer, The Iliad, Book 15 (Richmond Lattimore translation)