For today’s post, I have decided to take a look at the three Divine Queens of Greek Mythology. These are the wives of the three eldest Olympian Gods. So they are each Queen of one of the Divine lands, of Sky, of Sea, and of the Underworld! Without further ado, let’s meet them.
Hera, Queen of the Sky
~The wife of Zeus, Queen of the Sky, and the Gods. After much convincing, this sister of Zeus was taken to be his Bride. Hera is the Goddess of Marriage and Childbirth, which could explain why she is so offended by her husband’s countless affairs. While any woman would be upset about infidelity, Hera took her ire to another level, often punishing the mistresses and their children!
Amphitrite, Queen of the Sea
~The wife of Poseidon was an Oceanid who was pursued ceaselessly by the God until she agreed to become his wife. She was a very powerful nymph that gained much respect when she became Queen of the Sea. However, not much is known about her other than her status as the wife of Poseidon and mother to his children. She is seen as much less angered by her husband’s infidelity than Hera was. This may show her personality in a way, as Poseidon had nearly as many affairs as Zeus, and she seemed to have accepted them.
Persephone, Queen of the Underworld
~The wife of Hades was originally the Goddess of the Spring. The story of her abduction by her husband is one of the most famous in all of Greek mythology. After her marriage, and the decision of Zeus that she split her time between the Underworld and living with her mother, she gained many powers as Dread Persephone Queen of the Dead! She makes many appearances in other famous myths. She is in the stories of Orpheus and Eurydice, Eros and Psyche, and Adonis! In the tale of Adonis, she ends up in a split custody situation with Aphrodite that is not dissimilar from her own situation with her mother and husband! The final thing I want to mention about Persephone is that she was the Queen that had the most respect from her husband, as they had what I consider the most functional marriage in all of the Greek myths!
Special Mention: I wanted to briefly mention that Aphrodite also had a Queen aspect, and was worshipped in this way. However, as she did not specifically rule over one of the three main sectors of Sky, Sea, or Underworld I chose not to go into this aspect here.
~I hope that you have enjoyed learning a bit about the three Divine Queens of Greek mythology. Let me know your thoughts in the comments below!
Further Reading
- Mythology by Edith Hamilton
- Bulfinch’s Mythology by Thomas Bulfinch
White Rose of Avalon 
Edith Hamilton also wrote “The Greek Way,” which is not bad. I always thought Hera got a bad rap. Her name means “ruler.” I’ve recently been reading a lot about Sumerian mythology, and the parallels between Inanna and Proserpine are strong. I wonder sometimes if I’m very ancient times Hela of Norse myth, Proserpine and Morrigna weren’t all related. They have so much in common.
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I do also like “The Greek Way.” Hera likely did have a bad rap, given she was supposed to be the emblem of perfect wife but had an unfaithful husband. It is interesting to note that real women who are said to have an active “Hera Archetype” often accept infidelity as part of life. Jackie Kennedy is prime example of this, as discussed by Jean Shinoda Bolen in “Goddesses in Everywoman.”
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