Juno in The Iliad

Who is Juno?

Juno (Hera) is the jealous, politically shrewd queen of the gods who works to protect the Achaeans and to thwart Zeus’ decisions when they threaten her favourites. From the opening book she protests Zeus’ scheme to honour Achilles after Agamemnon’s insult, and she plays an active role in rallying the Greek cause: she dispatches Minerva to restrain Achilles in Book 1, sends Minerva again in Book 2 to stop a rout, and repeatedly urges intervention when the battle turns against the Greeks. When gods are forbidden to intervene in Book 8 she argues for counsel and even attempts to take up arms before being forced to relent. She also uses intermediaries—most notably Iris—to prompt Achilles to show himself at the trench so the Achaeans can recover Patroclus in Book 18. Juno’s actions are driven by partisan loyalty and a refusal to accept Zeus’ unilateral shaping of mortal fortune; she is vocal, maneuvering, and often angered when her schemes are checked by higher authority.

Personality

Partisan

She repeatedly acts to help the Achaeans—sending Minerva in Book 2 and urging intervention in Book 8—showing clear favoritism.

Defiant

In Book 1 she protests Zeus’ plan to honour Achilles and in Book 8 tries to take up arms despite Zeus’ prohibition.

Manipulative

She employs gods as agents—sending Minerva and Iris to influence mortal action in Books 2 and 18.

Incensed

Zeus rebukes her in Book 15 for earlier trickery, highlighting her recurring fury at his decisions.

Character arc

Juno maintains a consistent stance from her first appearance to the later books: she opposes Zeus’ will, works to protect the Greeks, and resists the transfer of divine favour to the Trojans. Early, in Book 1, she vocalizes objection to Zeus’ intention to honour Achilles and accepts counsel from Hephaestus to be pacified; she then moves into active intervention—commissioning Minerva to forestall violence between Achilles and Agamemnon and again to halt a rout in Book 2. In Book 8 she presses to intervene militarily but is checked by Zeus’ clear prohibition; she shifts from direct combat to offering counsel when rebuked. Her tactics rely increasingly on intermediaries (for example sending Iris in Book 18 to prompt Achilles’ appearance), rather than open confrontation after Zeus’ stern responses. Even when Zeus restores Trojan strength in Book 15 and rebukes her, she does not reconcile to his judgment internally; she adapts tactically, continuing to work behind the scenes for the Achaeans rather than abandoning her partisan aims. Her fundamental refusal to accept Zeus’ sole authority remains unchanged, though her methods become more cautious under his dominance.

Relationships

• Zeus She frequently contests Zeus’ decisions and is rebuked by him (notably in Book 15).
• Minerva Juno sends Minerva to intervene among mortals, using her to restrain Achilles and to stop a rout in Book 2 and to attempt joint action in Book 8.
• Iris Juno dispatches Iris as a messenger to bid Achilles show himself at the trench so the Achaeans can recover Patroclus (Book 18).
• Hephaestus In Book 1 Hephaestus pacifies Juno when she protests Zeus’ plan, calming the divine assembly.
• Achilles She acts to influence him indirectly—through Iris—so his appearance will aid the Achaeans in retrieving Patroclus (Book 18).

Why Juno matters

Juno embodies the theme of partisan divine intervention and the friction between personal loyalty and cosmic authority. Her persistent opposition to Zeus highlights the poem’s tension between fate ordained by the king of gods and the competing wills of other deities. By manipulating events and sending agents to the battlefield, she demonstrates how divine quarrels shape human fortunes and how gods’ jealousies prolong and complicate mortal suffering. Juno’s resistance to Zeus also underlines questions of power, gendered authority, and the limits of dissent within the divine hierarchy.

Chapters with Juno

• Book 1
• Book 2
• Book 8
• Book 15
• Book 18
• Book 19
• Book 24

More The Iliad characters

• HectorMajor character
• AchillesProtagonist
• AgamemnonMajor character
• ApolloMajor character
• MenelausMajor character
• ZeusMajor character
• NestorMajor character
• PatroclusMajor character