Hero was a priestess of Aphrodite in Greek mythology, who lived in a tower in Sestos, on the western shores of the Hellespont. She fell in love with Leander, a young man from Abydos, which was located on the eastern shores of the strait. Leander would swim across the strait every night to meet her, guided by a lamp that Hero would light at the top of the tower. This went on for a whole summer. However, one night when the weather was bad, the light was blown by the wind and the winds made Leander's task very difficult. He eventually got lost and drowned in the sea. When Hero saw his body washed ashore, she fell off her tower to meet him in the afterlife.

See Also: Aphrodite, Leander