In
Greek mythology,
Hebe, the goddess of youth, was the original cupbearer to the
Greek gods of
Mount Olympus, serving them
nectar and
ambrosia. Hebe is the daughter of
Zeus and
Hera and is described performing her duties as cupbearer in the
Iliad: {{poem quote|The gods were seated near to Zeus in council, upon a golden floor. Graciously Hêbê served them nectar, as with cups of gold they toasted one another, looking down toward the stronghold of
Ilion. Hêbê's role of cup bearer ended when she was then replaced by
Ganymede. She then married the deified hero
Heracles, who joined Hêbê among the gods and goddesses and started a family.
Hephaestus,
Hermes,
Iris,
Athena, and Zeus have all been depicted as cupbearers at various points in time. Hephaestus poured nectar for his mother Hera and the other gods in the Iliad. Hermes poured ambrosia for the wedding of
Peleus and
Thetis in the poems of
Sappho. Iris poured wine for Hera across various artistic representations. And Athena may have done so in the works of
Bacchylides. Zeus posed as a cupbearer in the court of the
Titans in order to poison his father
Cronus, causing him to expel his swallowed children. The
Roman gods are also closely related to Greek mythology, with the Roman goddess of youth
Juventas being the counterpart to Greek
Hebe. == In Byzantium ==