Alcmene
Channel: all the knowledge of the universe PRINCIPIA
Date: 2021-12-03

Alcmene, by Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki?curid=1579 / CC BY SA 3.0

#Mortal_women_of_Zeus
#Princesses_in_Greek_mythology
#Perseid_dynasty
#Mythology_of_Argos
#Mythology_of_Heracles
#Metamorphoses_characters
#Mythological_rape_victims
#Women_in_Greek_mythology
#Characters_in_Greek_mythology
In Greek mythology, Alcmene （/ælkˈmiːniː/） or Alcmena （/ælkˈmiːnə/; Ancient Greek: Ἀλκμήνη or Doric Greek: Ἀλκμάνα, Latin: Alcumena means "strong in wrath"） was the wife of Amphitryon by whom she bore two children, Iphicles and Laonome.
She is best known as the mother of Heracles, whose father was the god Zeus.
Alcmene was also referred to as Electryone （Ἠλεκτρυώνη）, a patronymic name as a daughter of Electryon.
According to the Bibliotheca, Alcmene was born to Electryon, the son of Perseus and Andromeda, and king of Tiryns and Mycenae or Medea in Argolis.
Her mother was Anaxo, daughter of Alcaeus and Astydamia.
Other accounts say her mother was Lysidice, the daughter of Pelops and Hippodameia, or Eurydice the daughter of Pelops.
According to Pausanias, the poet Asius made Alcmene the daughter of Amphiaraus and Eriphyle.
Hesiod describes Alcmene as the tallest, most beautiful woman with wisdom surpassed by no person born of mortal parents.
It is said that her face and dark eyes were as charming as Aphrodite's, and that she honoured her husband like no woman before her.
According to the Bibliotheca, Alcmene went with Amphitryon to Thebes, where he was purified by Creon for accidentally killing Electryon.
Alcmene refused to marry Amphitryon until he had avenged the death of her brothers.
During Amphitryon's expedition against the Taphians and Teleboans, Zeus visited Alcmene disguised as Amphitryon.
Zeus persuaded Alcmene that he was her husband.
Extending one night into three, Zeus slept with Alcmene, his great-granddaughter, thereby conceiving Heracles, while recounting Amphitryon's victories against the Teleboans.
When Amphitryon finally returned to Thebes, Alcmene told...