In Greek mythology, the peacock was especially associated with Hera, queen of the Olympian gods.
The bird’s tail feathers were linked in later artistic tradition with the many eyes of Argus Panoptes, a giant whom Hera appointed to guard Io. After Hermes killed Argus, Hera was said to have placed his eyes on the peacock’s tail. This story helped explain the bird’s striking markings and strengthened its connection with the goddess.
Hera was the daughter of Cronus and Rhea and the sister and wife of Zeus. She was associated with marriage, women, childbirth, and royal authority. Ancient Greek artists did not always show her with a peacock, but the bird became a familiar attribute in later Greek and Roman art.
The peacock is sometimes confused with Hera’s other associations, especially the cuckoo and cow. Those animals also appear in myths about her, but the peacock is her best-known sacred bird.