Birth of the Milky Way

Some say that Juno agreed to adopt Hercules and nurse him. Hercules was so strong even as a baby, that he hurt Hera's nipple which forced her to pull him away, causing a stream of breast milk to spill. From these milk droplets arose the Galactic or "Milky Way". Hercules was the son of Hera's consort, Zeus.

One story is that Zeus used his "phenomenal" powers to become a "phenocopy" of Amphitryon, the husband of Alcmede, which enabled him to claim his "marital" rights just before the real "marido" Amphitryon did the same. Alcmede was amazed at what she thought was a repeat performance. Copulation with various males produces "heterospermy" and if conception occurs, it may engender fraternal twins fathered by two males or "heteropaternity". Such twins are not full brothers but half maternal siblings. This was the case with Alcmede who conceived fraternal twins, one by Zeus and the other by the real Amphitryon. Alcmede named one twin Heracles or Hercules and the other Iphicles. 

The "phenotype" of both twins was mortal but Hercules was extremely strong. Alcmede realized that Hercules could not be the son. Because he adored Alcmede  he accepted this fact and remained discrete. Since then, "amphitrion" denotes agenerous "host" as well as "who can remain painfully discreet".

Moliere used this theme in a play of this name but shifted the classic meaning of "amphitryon" from representing a hero to cast a naive or foolish host - perhaps he was right because modern "amfitriones" should be aware that "amphi" stands for "both" or "all sides" and that "heterospermy" and "heteropaternity" are no longer a matter of myths but represent a growing reality. In this sense, mankind is getting closer to other female mammals where sperm from a variety of males is stored in the vaginal tract and fertilizes eggs that engender "half" fraternal twins or maternal twin half-siblings - a mouth full to explain recently gained sexual "freedom". The price for the offspring may be as high as that paid by Hercules who endured his 12 terrible labors and died consumed by pain and flames. expense of the psyche of.