Alcmene

Alcmene is a figure in Greek mythology, a mortal queen and the wife of Amphitryon, king of Tiryns. She is traditionally identified as the daughter of Electryon, king of Mycenae, and Anaxo, and, in some accounts, the granddaughter of Perseus. Through her, the lineage of the hero Heracles (Heracles) is traced, making her an important ancestress in Greek myth.

The most famous aspect of Alcmene’s story concerns the conception of Heracles. Zeus, disguising himself as Amphitryon, visited Alcmene and conceived Heracles. In the same general time frame, Amphitryon did sleep with Alcmene and fathered Iphicles, making Heracles the son of a god and Iphicles the mortal son of Amphitryon. According to several variants, these conceptions occurred on consecutive nights or within a short span, a narrative device that underscored Heracles’ divine paternity and heroic stature.

Alcmene’s primary role in myth is as the mother of Heracles, whose exploits and twelve labors form a central thread of Greek heroic legend. Her own fate varies across sources; in some tellings she remains a mortal queen, while later traditions sometimes elevate her status or reference her in cult and literary contexts as the ancestress of a major hero.

See also: Heracles, Amphitryon, Electryon, Perseus.