Hephaestus

**Hephaestus** (Ancient Greek Ἥφαιστος, *Hḗphaistos*) in Greek mythology is the god of forge, blacksmiths, stonemasonry, technology, metalworking, sculpture, volcanoes and fire.

His Roman equivalent is the god Vulcan.

## Overview

Hephaestus is the son of Zeus and Hera, king and queen of gods. Hephaestus is usually said to be married to the goddess of love Aphrodite, who is known for her affair with Hephaestus' brother Ares, the god of war. Other works have him married to the goddess Aglaea, who is one of the three Graces/Charites.

## Miscellaneous Myths

### The Theogony

Hephaestus appears briefly as a baby, as [Zeus’s list of offspring is mentioned. While Hera holds Hephaestus’ brother Ares tenderly, she casually tosses Hephaestus himself aside, a reference to the myth where Hera threw Hephaestus off Mount Olympus, for being born lame.

### Aphrodite's Affair

Hephaestus was thrown off Olympus when he was born by his mother Hera for being crippled, or alternatively by Zeus for protecting Hera from him, and his fall was what damaged his legs. He ended up marrying either Aglaea (a Grace) or Aphrodite, but what their marriage was like is a lot more detailed that why they married; in one version, he trapped Hera in a throne and only agreed to let her go if Aphrodite was given to him as a wife, in another Zeus married her off to him in order to get the other gods stop fighting over her. Nonetheless their marriage was far from a success, as Aphrodite was wooed by Hephaestus' brother Ares, ho courted her with gifts and flowers. They kept their affair secret from Hephaestus, but their shenanigans did not go undetected by Helios, the sun god who saw everything. Helios informed Hephaestus, who then forged chains so thin they were almost invisible, but very strong, and hid them all over the bedroom. Then he announced he was going on a trip. Ares and Aphrodite grabbed the opportunity to come together, but there trapped by Hephaestus' chains who then proceeded to invite all gods to watch. As Apollo and Hermes mocked the two lovers, Poseidon tried to make Hephaestus see sense and let them go. Hephaestus only agreed when Poseidon promised to pay Hephaestus back the dowry he had paid when he married Aphrodite.

### Pandora

When Zeus sought to punish humanity for receiving and benefiting from Prometheus’ gift of fire, he had Hephaestus built a female figure out of clay, who would become the first mortal woman, Pandora. Aphrodite advised him to give her nice dark eyelashes, so she can flutter her problems away.

### Tantalus

Hephaestus, like all the other gods, was invited over for dinner at Tantalus’. Tantalus however killed and served his own son Pelops to the gods; all except for Demeter saw through it and didn’t accept the food – except for Demeter who did eat a chunk of the boy’s shoulder, still grieving over the loss of her daughter Persephone. The gods brought Pelops to life, with his missing shoulder replaced with an ivory prosthetic by Hephaestus.

It’s also mentioned how in another version of Tantalus’ myth, he and Pandareus stole the golden dog created by Hephaestus to guard baby Zeus.

### Athens

According to Athens' founding myth, once the goddess Athena came to Hephaestus' workshop to ask for weapons. Hephaestus chased her, but Athena ran away, so his seed fell on earth, and thus Erechtheus/Erichthonius was born, a founding hero of Athens.

## Classics Summarized

### The Iliad

Hephaestus is commissioned by the Nereid Thetis to build weapons for her son Achilles, who’s fighting in the Trojan War.

## Physical appearance

Hephaestus is coloured a slightly orangish light brown. In earlier art, he’s depicted with short, curly hair, but in later art he is bald.

## Appearances

The Iliad

Pandora

Dionysus (cameo)

The Theogony

Tantalus

Aphrodite's Affair

## Notes

1. ↑ Or alternatively, Tantalus and Pandareus attempted to steal a dog guarding the infant Zeus, that was placed there by Rhea, in order to avoid any time-travelling confusion.