Encyclopedia > Alcmene

  Article Content

Alcmene

Alcmene ("might of the moon") was, in ancient Greek mythology, the daughter of Electryon, king of Mycenae, and wife of Amphitryon. She was the mother of Heracles by Zeus, who assumed the likeness of her husband during his absence, and the mother of Iphicles by Amphitryon. While Alcmene was pregnant with Heracles, Hera tried to prevent her from giving birth. She was foiled by Galanthis, her servant, who told Hera that she had already delivered the baby. Hera turned her into a weasel.

Alcmene was regarded as the ancestress of the Heracleidae, and worshipped at Thebes and Athens.

After separating from Amphitryon, she married Rhadamanthus in Boeotia.


Wikified from 1911 encyclopedia -- Please update as needed



All Wikipedia text is available under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License

 
  Search Encyclopedia

Search over one million articles, find something about almost anything!
 
 
  
  Featured Article
242

... 2nd century - 3rd century - 4th century Decades: 190s 200s 210s 220s 230s - 240s - 250s 260s 270s 280s 290s Years: 237 238 239 240 241 - 242 - 243 ...

 
 
 
This page was created in 24.1 ms