Celestial Goddesses.
JUNO--HERA.
_Ques._ Who was Juno?
_Ans._ She was the daughter of Saturn and Ops, and was both sister and
wife of Jupiter.
_Ques._ How is she generally represented?
_Ans._ As seated in a golden chariot drawn by peacocks. She holds a
sceptre in her hand, and is crowned with roses and lilies. Iris was
the messenger of Juno, as Mercury was of Jupiter.
_Ques._ How is Iris represented?
_Ans._ With wings, because of her swiftness, and sometimes also as
riding on a rainbow.
_Ques._ How did Iris differ from Mercury?
_Ans._ Mercury was often employed in messages of peace; but Iris was
frequently sent to promote strife and dissension.
_Ques._ What children had Juno?
_Ans._ Vulcan, Mars and Hebe. Hebe was called the goddess of youth, on
account of her extraordinary beauty, and Jupiter made her his
cup-bearer. She offended him by an unlucky fall, and Ganymede was
appointed in her place.
_Ques._ What were Juno's faults?
_Ans._ She was very jealous, and took the most cruel revenge on the
mortal woman whom Jupiter loved. She transformed Callista and her son
Arcas into bears, and was extremely displeased when Jupiter placed
them among the constellations.
The goddess carried her complaint to Ocean´us, bidding him to observe,
when the shades of night should darken the world, how her rival was
exalted. The god of Ocean was moved, and promised Juno that he would
never receive either Callista or her offspring in his watery domain.
Hence it is, that the Greater and the Lesser Bear continually circle
around the pole, and never sink, like the other stars, beneath the
waves of Ocean. In the fables of Bacchus and Hercules, Juno displays
the same character, extending to these heroes the enmity she bore
their mortal mothers.
Juno was chiefly honored at Argos, Samos and Platæa. The victims
offered to her were kine, ewe lambs, and sows. The cow was consecrated
to her, and at Argos the priestess of Juno always rode in a chariot
drawn by oxen. The sacred plants of the goddess were, the willow,
pomegranate, the dittany and the lily. The peacock was chosen as the
bird of Juno, because it was supposed by its cry to indicate a change
of weather.