Alcmene

This article is about Alcmene in Greek mythology. For other uses, see Alcmene (disambiguation).

Alcmene watching Heracles strangle the snakes on a Roman fresco from House of the Vetti (Pompeii).

In Greek mythology, Alcmene (/ælkˈmiːniː/ alk-MEE-nee; Attic Greek: Ἀλκμήνη, romanized: Alkmḗnē) or Alcmena (/ælkˈmiːnə/ alk-MEE-nə; Doric Greek: Ἀλκμάνα, romanized: Alkmána; Latin: Alcumena; meaning "strong in wrath") was the wife of Amphitryon, by whom she bore two children, Iphicles and Laonome. She is best known as the mother of Heracles, whose father was the god Zeus. Alcmene was also referred to as Electryone (Ἠλεκτρυώνη, Elektryṓnē), a patronymic name as a daughter of Electryon.