Mythic Mother's Day

The Greek goddesses may have been incredibly powerful feminine forces — but generally, they were terrible mothers. Enjoy this ten-minute journey into primordial motherhood and feel better about your own perfectly human parenting skills.

Related Reading from the Archive

• Divine Motherhood: The Birth of Princess Diana
  The deepest dive into mythic motherhood in the Wonder Woman universe — Hippolyte’s longing and Aphrodite’s extraordinary answer.
• Pandora
  The first woman in Greek mythology, whose story raises uncomfortable questions about the relationship between femininity, gift, and punishment.
• Olive Byrne, Wonder Woman’s Other Mother
  The real-world woman whose motherhood was as unconventional, devoted, and underacknowledged as any of the goddesses in this episode.
• Herstory of Hippolyte
  The full story of the Amazon queen before she became a mother — the mythological context that makes her longing for Diana so powerful.