When Zeus, the King of the Gods, discovered Hera in the beautiful region of Hesperides, he fell head over heels in love with her. In order to approach Hera, Zeus transformed himself into a cuckoo and placed himself outside her window, pretending to be frozen by the cold.

At the sight of the bird, Hera felt sorrow and pity and took it inside her house. Once inside, Zeus revealed his true identity and raped Hera; then, he brought her to the mountain of Cithaeron to make her his legal wife so that she could cover her shame.

The marriage of Zeus and Hera took place in the Garden of Hesperides and was celebrated with exceptional honors and sacrifices. Hera was given a marvelous wedding dress to wear and was offered to seat on a golden throne next to Zeus.

Everything divine was singing hymns and praises for this sacred wedding and gave the couple many precious gifts. The Goddess of the Earth Gaea treated the couple with a quince, the symbol of love and happiness, and even made a tree blossom with golden apples in Hera’s honor; Hera was so happy for it that she planted them in her garden on the shores of the ocean.

Immediately after the ceremony, Zeus and Hera set off on a journey to the Greek island of Samos to enjoy their honeymoon; a honeymoon that lasted for whole 300 years.