All About Hephaestus
God of Fire & Metalworking - created by Sean Donehoo
Hephaestus
Personal Information
- Aglaia- wife
- Aphrodite- ex wife
- Kaberio- (nymph) love interest who bore multiple children of Hephaestus
- Zeus- father
- Hera- mother
- Ares- brother
- Hebe- sister
- Eileithyia- sister
- Euklia- goddess daughter of Hephaestus and Aglaia
- Eupheme- goddess daughter of Hephaestus and Aglaia
- Euthenia- goddess daughter of Hephaestus and Aglaia
- The Kabeiroi- (twins)spirit sons of Hephaestus and the nymph Kaberio
- The Kaberides- (twins) nymph daughters of Hephaestus and the nymph Kaberio
- Philophrosyne- goddess daughter of Hephaestus and Aglaia
RESPONSIBILITIES
Hephaestus was the god of fire, metalworking, volcanism, stone masonry, carpentry, and sculpture. Hephaestus was in charge of making weaponry and armor for the gods and mortals and was revered for his work.
FRIENDS
- Dares- (Trojan priest) Hephaestus saved his son.
- Achilles- Hephaestus forged his armor
- Apollo & Artemis- Hephaestus crafted their arrows
- Zeus- (Father) Hephaestus forged his three-forked thunderbolts
- Perseus- Hephaestus forged his knife
- Peleus- Hephaestus fitted his spear with a head as a wedding gift, as well as his sword
- Diomedes- Hephaestus created her corselet
- Memnon- Hephaestus forged his armor
- Heracles- Hephaestus forged his armor, shield, and quiver
- Aeneas- Hephaestus forged her armor as a result of her seduction
- Athena- Hephaestus attempted to rape her when she came to his forgery to ask him to build some weapons
- Aphrodite- Hephaestus married her in exchange for releasing his mother from a magical chair, but during their marriage she committed adultery with his brother, Ares. They were divorced shortly thereafter.
- Prometheus- when Prometheus gave fire to men, Zeus ordered Hephaestus to chain Prometheus to Mount Kaukasos as punishment.
- Scamander- Scamander was a river god of the troad. He challenged Achilles after being insulted and Hera sent Hephaestus to help, Hephaestus dried up Scamanders river then , under Hera's order, spared his life.
Aphrodite
The Three Kharites
Ares
Myths
When Hephaestus was born, Hera (his mother) threw him down from Mount Olympus ashamed to have given birth to a cripple. When he fell he was rescued by Thetis and Euryome, who cared for him in a cave and grew to be a skilled smith. Eventually , still enraged in regard to his mothers treatment of him, he crafted a golden throne that would trap whoever sat in it. He sent it along with many other gifts to Mount Olympus, and as intended, when Hera sat in it, the throne trapped her. Zeus offered the goddess Aphrodite as a reward for whoever could free Hera, Aphrodite agreed believing that her love Ares would complete the task and claim her as his reward. Ares attempted to invade Hephaestus' forge but was unsuccessful as the god of fire drove him back with flaming metal. The god Dionysus then approached Hephaestus, informing him of Zeus' offer and suggested he free Hera and claim Aphrodite for himself. The god agreed, and freed Hera, thus marrying the goddess Aphrodite (much to her dismay). Hephaestus built a palace for his newlywed and lay with her that night. However Aphrodite was not content with the situation. She began to engage in adultery with her lover Ares (Hephaestus' brother). Soon thereafter Helios caught them in the act. He hurried along to notify Hephaestus. Hephaestus, infuriated, began immediately to plot his revenge. He built invisible chains designed to trap the two in bed. He placed the chains all over his own bed to trap the couple. Ares noticed Hephaestus leave and went to meet with Aphrodite. As they lay on the bed, the chains capture them and hold them in their shameful place. Helios informed Hephaestus that his plan had worked and the two were inside now. Hephaestus stood on his doorstep and called for all the gods to come and witness what was happening. They obliged and as they all walked in, Aphrodite and Ares were trapped in place. Hephaestus stated that he would not free the pair until Zeus returned the gifts he had given him on the date of their betrothal. Poseidon, however had fallen in love with Aphrodite's naked body. He pleas with Hephaestus to let them go saying Ares will pay in full and if he doesn't then Poseidon would himself. Hephaestus agrees and frees Ares and Aphrodite. Hephaestus crafted a necklace for their love child that would cause ill fate for all of their family. Hephaestus and Aphrodite split, as he was disgusted with her actions and she did not love him. Hephaestus eventually wed Aglaia the goddess of glory who birthed him several goddess daughters.
Hephaestus and Pandora
Prometheus, the god of forethought, befriended and took pity on the humans of earth. He wanted to see them prevail and succeed so he stole fire from Mount Olympus in a fennel stalk and gave it to the humans, showing them how to use it. Zeus ordered Hephaestus to bind Prometheus to the side of Mount Kaukasos, where he would be devoured by crows and then regenerate all his organs that night for them to eat again the next day. Hephaestus reluctantly obeyed Zeus' orders. As a punishment Zeus decided to create a new being to send to earth. He instructed Hephaestus to build a woman who would be irresistible to Epimethius, Prometheus' brother.. Zeus gave her a jar to take down with her and instructed her to never open it. Other gods give Pandora one gift each. Hermes takes Pandora down to Epimethius and the two marry. Prometheus had told Epimethius not to take any gifts from Zeus as it would harm mankind, but Epimethius took Pandora out of fear. Eventually Pandora becomes curious and opens the jar, it contained all the bad things in existence which escaped and went off to wreck havoc on all of earth. The only thing left in the jar is hope.
Hephaestus Battles Scamandar
Scamandar was a river god who ruled over the river Xanthos or Skamandros. During the feuding of the gods in the Trojan war, Scamandar challenged Achilles, the Greek hero. Scamandar attempted to drown Achilles with his river when Hera, fearing for Achilles, called upon Hephaestus to assist. Hephaestus set fire to the vast land nearby, then turned his attention to the river. Scamandar attempted to save himself, begging for mercy and allowing Achilles to leave, but Hera instructed Hephaestus to ignore anything the god said. At last, when the river began to boil, Scamandar pleaded with Hera to let him be. Hera instructed Hephaestus to have mercy this time, as Achilles was free to go.