Thorvaldson’s marble, ‘Hebe’ (1806) |
Hebe
Roman name: Juventas
The goddess of youth
Cup-bearer to the gods, Hebe was normally depicted as a young woman in a sleeveless dress, bearing a cup of ambrosia.
Hebe was a daughter of Zeus and his main consort Hera.
She became the cup-bearer of the gods on Mount Olympus, serving the nectar and ambrosia that conferred immortality.
When she married Heracles, her role as cup-bearer was taken over by Ganymede.