Name Megara
Gender Feminine
Usage Greek Mythology, Popular Culture
Scripts Μεγάρα
Pronounced Pron. meg-AH-rah, MEG-AH-RA (Greek Mythology)
Other Forms FormsMegaera
Edit Status Status
Meaning & History
Either a variant of MEGAERA or derived from either the Ancient Greek city Megara in West Attica, Greece, or the Ancient Greek colony in Sicily Megara Hyblaea, both derived from megaron, from megas 'large, great, marvelous', referring to a large hall.In Greek mythology, Megara was the oldest daughter of CREON, king of Thebes. In reward for HERACLES' defending Thebes from the Minyans at Orchomenus in single-handed battle, Creon offered his daughter Megara to Heracles. She bore him a son and a daughter, whom Heracles killed when HERA struck him with temporary madness. In some sources Heracles slew Megara too, in others, she was given to IOLAUS when Heracles left Thebes forever.In the Disney animated film HERCULES, Megara, also called Meg, is a young woman who was a pawn for the Lord of the Underworld, Hades. Sometime during the events of Hercules, Meg went to Hades and sold her soul to revive a lover of hers who had died. Hades agreed on the condition that she serve him forever, which she accepted. However, shortly after her lover was revived, he fell in love with someone else and ungratefully left Meg locked in servitude to Hades. This background story of the character alludes to the myth of ALCESTIS, who dies by proxy for her husband ADMETUS.