Hebe: Greek Goddess of Youth

The Story of Hebe

Hebe was the goddess of youth, a daughter of Zeus and Hera. Her name means youth or the bloom of youth. Her sisters included Eileithyia, goddess of childbirth, and her brother was Ares, the god of war.

On Mount Olympus, Hebe was the cupbearer of the gods, pouring their nectar at feasts. She also helped Hera harness her chariot and prepared a bath for her brother Ares in the Iliad. In some later tellings, the Trojan prince Ganymede took over her job as cupbearer.

Hera hated the hero Heracles all his life, because he was the son of Zeus by a mortal woman. But when Heracles died and was taken up to Olympus as a god, he was finally reconciled with Hera. She gave him her daughter Hebe as his wife, and the couple lived together among the gods.

As goddess of youth, Hebe could give back youthful strength. In a play by Euripides, the aged Iolaus, nephew and companion of Heracles, prayed for one more day of youth to defend Heracles's children. Hebe granted his wish, and he went into battle young again.

Hebe was worshipped at Phlius in the Peloponnese, where her sanctuary offered protection to people seeking refuge. She was often shown as a young woman pouring from a jug, and later artists liked to paint her with Zeus's eagle. The Romans called her Juventas, the goddess of youth.