Hebe/Juventas

**Hebe** is the Greek goddess of youth and forgiveness, the daughter of Zeus and Hera, and the former cup-bearer of the gods. Her Roman counterpart is **Juventas**.

## Basic Info

### Alias

Goddess of Eternal Youth and Forgiveness, Patron of Brides, Ganymeda, Cupbearer of the Gods, Mom (By her children)

### Symbols

Wine-cup, Eagle, Ivy, Fountain of Youth, and Wings

## Family Info

### Siblings

* Enyo, Eris, Eileithyia, Angelos (sisters)
* Ares, Hephaestus (brothers)
* Hermes, Apollo, Dionysus, Perseus, Minos, Tantalus, Aeacus, Megaros, Lacadaemon, Tityus, Rhadamanthys, Sarpedon, Amphion, Zethus, Dardanos, Iason, Eetion, Epaphus, Demetrius, Akheilos, Caerus, Isaac Reynoso (paternal half-brothers)
* Athena, The Horai, the Moirai, the Muses, the Charites, Persephone, Artemis, Britomartis, Angelos, Aletheia, Pandeia, Herse, Agdistis, Herophile, Tempest Leos (Paternal half-sisters)

### Consorts

* Heracles (husband, paternal half-brother)
* Calina Sandoval
* Jules di Amore

### Offspring

* Alexiares and Anicetus (By Heracles)
* Gabriel Sandoval (By Calina)
* Unnamed child (By Calina, miscarried)
* Virginia di Amore (By Jules)

### Extended Family

* Hades, and Poseidon (uncles)
* Hestia, Demeter, and Kelene (aunts)
* Anatole Mycenaean, Philip Priam, Leo Guzman, Marko Bachinski, Ryan Anderson, Oscar Vasquez (Nephews)
* Iphigenia Mycenaean, Cassandra Torres, Sadie Torres, Diana Silver, Evelyn Dare, Quiara Crest, Esperanza Vasquez (Nieces)

## History

### Birth

Hebe is the daughter of Zeus and his sister-wife Hera. Pindar in *Nemean Ode 10* refers to her as the most beautiful of the goddesses, and being by her mother's side in Olympus forever. In some traditions that were recorded by Servius, her father Zeus gifted her two doves with human voices, and one flew to where the Oracle of Dodona would be established. In a rare, alternative version of Hebe's conception, her mother Hera became pregnant merely by eating a lettuce plant while dining with her fellow Olympian, Apollo. This version was recorded by famed Italian mythographer Natalis Comes. Reconstructed Orphic beliefs may also present a different version of Hera's impregnation with Hebe. It should be remembered that this version of the myth of Hebe's birth is a speculative reconstruction, and therefore, it likely does not represent how the myth would have been known to its original audience. In another version, Hera sought out a way to become pregnant without assistance of Zeus by travelling to realm of Oceanus and Tethys at the end of the world. There, she entered the garden of Flora and she touched a sole, nameless plant from the land of Olene and became pregnant with Ares. Hera returned to the garden sometime after his birth and ate lettuce to become pregnant with Hebe.

The consumption of lettuce in Ancient Greece was connected to sexual impotency in men and women, with Plutarch recording that women should never eat the heart of a lettuce. Additionally, lettuce was associated with death, as Aphrodite laid the dying Adonis in a patch to potentially aid in his reconstruction. Despite these concerns, it was also believed that lettuce benefited menstrual flow and lactation in women, characteristics that may associate the plant with motherhood. This version of Hebe's paternity is referenced by American author Henry David Thoreau in his work *Walden*, where Hebe is described as the daughter of Juno and wild lettuce. A fragment by Callimachus describes Hera holding a feast to celebrate the seventh day after her daughter Hebe's birth. The gods have a friendly argument over who will give the best gift, with Poseidon, Athena, Apollo, and Hephaestus specifically mentioned as presenting toys or, as in Apollo's case, songs. Callimachus, who composed a poem for the celebration of the seventh day after the birth of a daughter to his friend Leon, used Apollo's gift of a song as a divine prototype for his own gift. In some traditions that were recorded by Servius, her father Zeus gifted her two doves with human voices, and one flew to where the Oracle of Dodona would be established. Hebe was initially seen in myth as a diligent daughter performing domestic tasks that were typical of high ranking, unmarried girls in ancient Greece. In the Iliad, she did tasks around the household such as drawing baths for her brother Ares and helping Hera enter her chariot. Additionally, Hebe was often connected to Aphrodite, whom she was described dancing with and acting as her herald or attendant, linking the Classical association between beauty and "the bloom of youth".

### Marriage

As the bride of Heracles, Hebe was strongly associated with both brides and her husband in art and literature. She was the patron of brides, due to being the daughter of the goddess of marriage Hera and the importance of her own wedding. Hebe's role as the patron of brides is referenced in Edmund Spenser's *Epithalamion*, where the poem also connects her to the fertility of the bride. In some depictions on vase paintings, such as the Ricci Hydria dated to approximately 525 B.C.E., Hebe drives a chariot and is the one to bring her future husband, Heracles, to Olympus from Earth upon his apotheosis, a role traditionally fulfilled by Athena. A Krator in the Cleveland Museum may depict Hebe in chariot ready to leave Olympus to retrieve her husband in the presence of her mother, Artemis, and Apollo.

The lost comedic play, *Hebes Gamos* ("The Marriage of Hebe") by Epicharmus of Kos, depicted the wedding feast of Hebe and Heracles. In Theocritus’s *Encomium of Ptolemy Philadelphus*, Heracles dines with Ptolemy I and Alexander at a feast on Olympus and after he has his fill of nectar, he bestows his bow and arrows and club to them and leaves for his wife’s chamber. Here the couple is presented as one of the paradigms for marriage of Philadelphus and Arsinoe with Heracles retiring to Hebe's chambers in a scene reminiscent of a wedding. Catullus in *Poem 68* makes a positive reference to the legal marriage of Heracles to the virginal goddess Hebe to contrast with the poet's secret affair with a married woman. Propertius also makes a reference to Heracles feeling a blazing love for Hebe upon his death at Mount Oeta, altering the traditional myth where Heracles marries Hebe after ascending to divinity.

Hebe had two children with Heracles: Alexiares and Anicetus. Although nothing is known about these deities beyond their names, there is a fragment by Callimachus that makes a reference to Eileithyia, Hebe's sister and the goddess of childbirth, attending to Hebe while in labor.

### Giver of youth

One of Hebe's roles was to be the cupbearer to the gods, serving them ambrosia and nectar. In Classical sources, her departure from this role was due to her marriage. Alternatively, the *Iliad* presented Hebe (and at one instance, Hephaestus) as the cup bearer of the gods with the divine hero Ganymede acting as Zeus's personal cup bearer. Additionally, Cicero seems to imply that either Hebe or Ganymede, who is typically seen as her successor, could serve in the role of cupbearer at the heavenly feast. The reasoning for Hebe's supposed dismissal was transformed into a moralizing story in the 1500s by the Church of England, where it was stated in a note in an English-Latin dictionary that she fell while in attendance to the gods, causing her dress to become undone, exposing her naked body publicly. Although there is no Classical literary or artistic source for this account, the story was modified to function as a warning to women to stay modestly covered at all times, as naked women in particular were seen as shameful by the Church. During this period, she was strongly associated with spring, so this addition of her falling to the myth was also allegorized to represent the change of season from spring to autumn.

According to some Classical authors, Hebe was connected to maintaining the youth and immortality of the other gods. Philostratus the Elder states that she is the reason the other gods are eternally young, and Bacchylides alleges that Hebe, as the princess (*basileia*), is responsible for immortality. This is another justification for her marriage to Heracles, as it ensures not only his immortality but also eternal youth, which were not viewed as equivalent in myths, such as with the case of Tithonus. In Euripides' play *Heracleidae* and in Ovid's *Metamorphoses*, Hebe grants Iolaus' wish to become young again in order to fight Eurystheus. In Euripides' play Orestes, Helen is said to sit on a throne beside Hera and Hebe upon obtaining immortality.

## Personality

Hebe loves a good joke, and a good hug. She's very warm and open-minded to everyone, and doesn't hesitate to tell what's on her mind. Hebe is also brave. Hebe is a very generous and kind goddess, having granted Iolaus (her husband's friend and nephew) renewed youth so that he could fight against Eurystheus. Hebe is known to be very mother and cares about her children and loves, as she comforted her lover, Calina, after she had a miscarriage with their second child. Hebe is also known to be very forgiving (since she is the goddess of forgiveness) and is known to hardly ever hold a grudge. She also likes to encourage others to do things that may seem "childish" (i.e watching cartoons, trick-or-treating, playing with toys etc). In words, just because one get's older, doesn't mean they have to give up the things that gave them joy in their childhood. She is a true child at heart with a love for fun and friendly things in life. In her Olympian Family, she is the innocent one who cares very much for their well beings. She is known to live in the moment without fear of the future. She is a sensitive goddess who can see the best in others, and thus, she forgives easily. She is always bursting with youthful energy, and some of her siblings seem to admire her optimistic nature. She is comfortable in social situations, but occasionally she can be naive and too trusting of others, which sometimes results in her being hurt.

## Appearance

Hebe is known to look younger than most of the gods, appearing as a teenager. When Gabriel first meets her, he was caught off guard with how young she appeared, saying "You look like you could be my sister!". Hebe is described with a youthful face, beautiful golden blonde hair, often tied up in a bun, sky blue eyes that are always so expressive and light skin. She is often seen wearing a Greek sleeveless dress with gold and pink lining

## Powers and Abilities

### Goddess Powers

As a child of two Olympians (one of them a member of the Big Three), Hebe is a very powerful goddess. She is considered a minor goddess.

* **Hebekinesis**: As the Goddess of Youth, Hebe has divine authority and absolute control over youth and rejuvenation.
	+ **Immortality Bestowal**: It is possible that Hebe possesses the power to make others immortal.
	+ **Youth Inducement**: As revealed in *Heracleidae*, Hebe has the power to make a person's physical state temporarily return to its younger, more vital state. She granted Iolaus' wish to become young again in order to fight Eurystheus.
* **Control of Animals**: Like Ganymede, Hebe has control over the sacred animals of her father Zeus, such as the royal eagles.

## Etymology

The name Hebe comes from a Greek word meaning "youth" or "prime of life."

## Trivia

1. Words like hebephilia and hebephernia are derived from her name.
2. 6 Hebe, a large asteroid in the Asteroid Belt, is named after her.
3. Lettuce and Ivy spring were both plants associated with Hebe.
4. A Hebe is a purple plant that originates in New Zealand.
5. Hebe is a genus of plants, named after the youth goddess Hebe.
6. In myths, Hebe greets heroes on their entrance into Olympus, presenting to them the cup of nectar which immediately restores them to the first bloom of youthfulness and beauty and endows them with immortality as the reward of victorious combats.
7. In art, Hebe is usually depicted wearing a sleeveless dress.
8. Juventas likewise means "youth," as can be seen in such derivatives as juvenile.
9. Words such as juvenile are derivatives from her Roman name, Juventas.
10. Her Norse counterpart is Idunn.