Alcmena is known for being the mother of the famous Greek hero Hercules. The story behind the creation of Hercules is more than just a union between a married couple, his father was the god, Zeus. The "potentially humorous myth," (Powell 393) of the conception of Hercules is told in the epic poem, The Shield of Hercules (Pseudo-Hesiod).

To better understand the relationship between Alcmena and Zeus, the origins of Alcmena must be told. Alcmena was the beautiful daughter of Electryon, the king (although only for a short time) of Myceanae. Electryon entrusted his innocent, pure daughter to his nephew Amphitryon who by some accounts accidentally killed Electryon when he, "threw a club against a cow and the club, having rebounded, stroke Electryon’s head and killed him" (Parada, Amphtryon).

The death of Electryon led to the fleeing of Amphtryon and Alcmena to Thebes where the conception of Hercules occurred. Amphtryon wanted to marry Alcmena. But before she would have sexual relations with him, Amphtryon would have to avenge the deaths of her brothers (Powell 392). On the day that he was to return home, Zeus planned to trick Alcmena into sleeping with him. Zeus assumed the likeness of Amphtryon, "and prolonged the night threefold, made love to Alcmena telling her about the outcome of the war" (Greek Mythology Heroes, online). Amphtryon returned and lay with his wife on the same night Zeus left. Confused, "Alcmena did not seem to welcome him, for she thought she had already been with her husband" (Parada, Alcmena). In this way, Alcmena unkowningly received the sperm of two men, her new husband and the Greek god, Zeus producing twins.

Sometime after Zeus tricked Alcmena and slept with her, he declared among the gods, "that the descendant of Perseus 1 about to see the light would become king of Mycenae" (Parada, Alcmena). Zeus’ wife Hera was angry with her husband and persuaded the goddess of childbirth, Ilithyia, to retard Almena’s delivery (Parada, Alcmena). Therefore punishing Alcmena who had innocently thought she was sleeping with her husband instead of her two timing (in Zeus’ case more like 40 timing) husband.

Ilithyia went to Thebes when Alcmena was about to give birth. Instead of helping Alcmena with the delivery of her twins, Ilithyia prolonged her delivery, as Hera had wanted (Parada, Alcmena). Alcmena was in complete torture for seven nights and seven days (Parada, Alcmena). Her screams could be heard from all around (Powell 395). Alcmena finally gave birth to her twins, Hercules the son of Zeus who became the great Greek hero and Iphicles, the son of Amphryton who was much less of a man (393).

Many theories revolve around the reasons Zeus chose Alcmena to sleep with. One theory was that Zeus loved beautiful mortal women and he appreciated Alcmena’s good looks (392). Another reason is that Zeus lay with Alcmena was because he purposed to father one who defend both gods and men against destruction and found a good mate in Alcmena (Parada, Alcmena). For whatever reason, Alcmena is considered to be the last mortal affair that Zeus had (maybe Hera had something to do with that) (Parada, Alcmena). This "one night stand" proved to be a success for Zeus although Hera tried everything she could to destroy Zues’ heir, Hercules became the great hero his father had expected.