Who was the mother of the hero Heracles?

Alcmene was the mother of the hero Heracles, also known by his Roman name, Hercules. She was a mortal princess who became central to the hero’s unusual divine and human parentage.

Alcmene was married to Amphitryon, but Zeus desired her and visited her while disguised as her husband. In many accounts, Zeus prolonged the night and fathered Heracles with Alcmene. Amphitryon later returned and also joined with her, becoming the father of Heracles’s mortal twin or half-brother, Iphicles. Heracles therefore had divine ancestry through Zeus but was born to a human mother.

Hera’s hostility toward Alcmene and her child is a recurring part of the myth. Some stories say Hera delayed the birth so Eurystheus would be born first and gain the authority Zeus had intended for Heracles. Later traditions describe magical attempts to obstruct the delivery. Alcmene is sometimes confused with Hera because Hera persecuted Heracles, but Hera was his jealous stepmother and not his mother.