Alcmena

First appears: Apollodorus, Library 2.4

🌐 Also appears in: The Metamorphoses of Ovid (as Alcmena) · Greek Tragedy — The Same Myth, Three Voices (as Alcmena)

Alcmena was the daughter of Electryon. She agreed to marry Amphitryon when he had avenged her brothers’ death, but Zeus came to her in Amphitryon’s likeness and was joined with her in love. She bore Heracles by Zeus and Iphicles by Amphitryon.

At the Scironian cliffs, Hyllus pursued and killed Eurystheus, then gave his head to Alcmena; she gouged out his eyes with weaving-pins. After the death of Amphitryon, Rhadamanthys fled to Boeotia and married Alcmena.

Relationship record

Life events

• Hyllus pursued and killed Eurystheus, then gave his head to Alcmena.(Apollodorus, Library 2.8 · 📍 Scironian cliffs)
  • With: Eurystheus Hyllus
  • “Eurystheus himself fled in a chariot, but was pursued and slain by Hyllus just as he was driving past the Scironian cliffs; and Hyllus cut off his head and gave it to Alcmena; and she gouged out his eyes with weaving-pins.”
• Rhadamanthys fled to Boeotia and married Alcmena.(Apollodorus, Library 3.1 · 📍 Boeotia)
  • With: Rhadamanthys
  • “Rhadamanthys legislated for the islanders but afterwards he fled to Boeotia and married Alcmena ;”

Apollodorus, Library 2.4

• parent: Electryon “and begat a daughter Alcmena”
• child: Heracles “Alcmena bore two sons, to wit, Hercules, whom she had by Zeus”
• child: Iphicles “and Iphicles, whom she had by Amphitryon.”
• courtship with Amphitryon “And as Alcmena said she would marry him when he had avenged her brothers' death”
• married with Rhadamanthys “Rhadamanthys, son of Zeus, married Alcmena after the death of Amphitryon”
• married with Amphitryon “Alcmena said she would marry him”
• courtship with Zeus “he assumed the likeness of Amphitryon and bedded with Alcmena”
• admirer: Zeus “Zeus came by night and prolonging the one night threefold he assumed the likeness of Amphitryon and bedded with Alcmena”

Apollodorus, Library 2.8

• with Hyllus (Hyllus gave Eurystheus's head to Alcmena.) “and Hyllus cut off his head and gave it to Alcmena;”
• with Eurystheus (Alcmena gouged out Eurystheus's eyes.) “and she gouged out his eyes with weaving-pins.”

Hesiod, Theogony 869-975

• with Zeus (interaction) “And Alcmena was joined in love with Zeus who drives the clouds”

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Extracted from the original text of Greek Mythology. Made with Rho MD.