Hephaestus (pronounced /hɪˈfiːstəs/ or /hɪˈfεstəs/; Greek Ήφαιστος Hēphaistos) was a Greek god whose Roman equivalent was Vulcan; he was the god of technology, blacksmiths, craftsmen, artisans, sculptors, metals and metallurgy, and fire. He was worshipped in all the manufacturing and industrial centers of Greece, especially Athens identified by Greek colonists in southern Italy with the volcano gods Adranus of Mount Etna and Vulcanus of the Lipara islands, and his forge moved here by the poets. The ancient Greeks proposed many different ideas about the primordial gods in their mythology. ... This article is about the race of Titans in Greek mythology. ... The ancient Greeks had a very small number of see gods. ... For other uses, see Chthon (disambiguation). ... In Greek mythology, the Muses (Greek , Mousai: perhaps from the Proto-Indo-European root *men- think[1]) are a number of goddesses or spirits who embody the arts and inspire the creation process with their graces through remembered and improvised song and stage, writing, traditional music and dance. ... Asclepius (Greek , transliterated AsklÄ“piós; Latin Aesculapius) is the demigod of medicine and healing in ancient Greek mythology. ... Twelve Olympians, also known as the Dodekatheon (Greek: Δωδεκάθεον < δωδεκα, dodeka, twelve + θεον, theon, of the gods), in Greek religion, were the principal gods of the Greek pantheon, residing atop Mount Olympus. ... For other uses, see Zeus (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Hera (disambiguation). ... Neptune reigns in the city of Bristol. ... For other uses, see Hermes (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Hestia (disambiguation). ... This article is about the grain goddess Demeter. ... The Birth of Venus, (detail) by Sandro Botticelli, 1485 For other uses, see Aphrodite (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Athena (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Apollo (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Artemis (disambiguation). ... This article is about the ancient Greek god; for other uses, see Ares (disambiguation). ... The Forge of Vulcan by Diego Velasquez, (1630). ... By the mid 20th century humans had achieved a mastery of technology sufficient to leave the surface of the Earth for the first time and explore space. ... For other uses, see Blacksmith (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Craft (disambiguation). ... An artisan, also called a craftsman,[1] is a skilled manual worker who uses tools and machinery in a particular craft. ... Sculptor redirects here. ... This article is about metallic materials. ... Georg Agricola, author of De re metallica, an important early book on metal extraction Metallurgy is a domain of materials science that studies the physical and chemical behavior of metallic elements, their intermetallic compounds, and their compounds, which are called alloys. ... . Bön . Hinduism (Tattva) and Buddhism (MahābhÅ«ta) Prithvi / Bhumi — Earth Ap / Jala — Water Vayu / Pavan — Air / Wind Agni / Tejas — Fire Akasha — Aether . ... This article is about the capital of Greece. ... Adranus or Adranos (Greek: ) was a fire god worshipped by the Sicels, the original inhabitants of the island of Sicily. ... Etna redirects here. ...

The first-century sage Apollonius of Tyana is said to have observed, "there are many other mountains all over the earth that are on fire, and yet we should never be done with it if we assigned to them giants and gods like Hephaestus".^[1] Apollonius of Tyana (Greek: ; 16—ca. ... Tyana was an ancient city of Anatolia, in modern south-eastern Turkey. ...

[edit] Family

Hephaestus and his brother Ares were sons of Hera, with or without the cooperation of Zeus. In classic and late interpretations Hera bore him alone out of jealousy for Zeus's solo birth of Athena. In other tellings of Athena's birth, the goddess enters the world only after Zeus' head has been split open by a hammer-wielding Hephaestus. Either way, in Greek thought, there is a definite link between the fates of the goddess of wisdom and war (Athena) and the god of the forge that makes weapons of war. In Attica Hephaestus was honored at Hephaistia festival, and in conjunction with Athena Ergane (Athena as patroness of craftsmen and artisans) at a festival called Chalceia on the 30th day of Pyanepsion. Hephaestus crafted much of Athena's weaponry, along with those of the rest of the gods, and even of a few mortals who received their special favor. This article is about the ancient Greek god; for other uses, see Ares (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Hera (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Zeus (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Athena (disambiguation). ... Attica (in Greek: Αττική, Attike; see also List of traditional Greek place names) is a periphery (subdivision) in Greece, containing Athens, the capital of Greece. ... The Hephaistia was an ancient Greek festival in the honor of Hephaistos. ... In Attica, Hephaestus and Athena Ergane (Athena as patroness of craftsmen and artisans), were honored at a festival called Chalceia on the 30th day of Pyanepsion (autumn). ... The Attic calendar, the calendar used in Ancient Athens, was influential among the Hellenic calendars. ...

The Doric temple of Hephaestus, Agora of Athens – western face

An Athenian founding myth tells that Athena refused a union with Hephaestus, and that when he tried to rape her she disappeared from the bed. Hephaestus ejaculated on the earth, impregnating Gaia, who subsequently gave birth to Erichthonius of Athens; then the surrogate mother gave the child to Athena to foster, guarded by a serpent. Hyginuds made an etymology of strife (Eri-) between Athena and Hephaestus and the Earth-child (chthonios). Some readers may have the sense that an earlier, non-virginal Athena is disguised in a convoluted re-making of the myth-element. At any rate, there is a Temple of Hephaestus (Hephaesteum or the so-called "Theseum") located near the Athens agora, or marketplace. (illustration, right). Image File history File links Hephaistos. ... Image File history File links Hephaistos. ... The Doric order was one of the three orders or organizational systems of Ancient Greek or classical architecture; the other two canonical orders were the Ionic and the Corinthian. ... Temple of Hephaestus, an Doric Greek temple in Athens with the original entrance facing east, 449 BC (western face depicted) Temple of Hephaestus, Athens: eastern face The Temple of Hephaestus in central ancient Athens, Greece, is the best-preserved ancient Greek temple in the world, but is far less well... The Agora of Athens today. ... For other uses, see Gaia. ... King Erichthonius (also called Erechtheus I) was, according to some legends, autochthonous (born of the soil), and in other accounts he was the son of Hephaestus and Gaia or Athena or Atthis. ... For other uses, see Serpent (disambiguation). ... Gaius Julius Hyginus, (c. ... Temple of Hephaestus, an Doric Greek temple in Athens with the original entrance facing east, 449 BC (western face depicted) Temple of Hephaestus, Athens: eastern face The Temple of Hephaestus in central ancient Athens, Greece, is the best-preserved ancient Greek temple in the world, but is far less well...

On the island of Lemnos, his consort was the sea nymph Cabeiro, by whom he was the father of two metalworking gods named the Cabeiri. In Sicily, his consort was the nymph Aetna, and his sons two gods of Sicilian geysers called Palici. In Greek mythology, a nymph is any member of a large class of female nature entities, either bound to a particular location or landform or joining the retinue of a god or goddess. ... Cabeiri in Greek mythology, were a group of minor deities, of whose character and worship nothing certain is known. ... Aetna, Inc. ... Clepsydra Geyser in Yellowstone A geyser is a special type of hot spring that erupts periodically, ejecting a column of hot water and steam into the air. ... The term Palici refers to twin gods in Roman and, to a lesser extent, Greek mythology. ...

Homer makes Charis the wife of Hephaestus. However, according to most myths, Hephaestus is a husband of Aphrodite, who commits adultery against him with Ares. In Greek mythology, a Charis is one of several Charites (Χάριτες; Greek: Graces), goddesses of charm, beauty, nature, human creativity and fertility. ... The Birth of Venus, (detail) by Sandro Botticelli, 1485 For other uses, see Aphrodite (disambiguation). ... This article is about the ancient Greek god; for other uses, see Ares (disambiguation). ...

[edit] Hephaestus's craft

Hephaestus also crafted much of the other magnificent equipment of the gods, and almost any finely-wrought metalwork imbued with powers that appears in Greek myth is said to have been forged by Hephaestus: Hermes's winged helmet and sandals, the Aegis breastplate, Aphrodite's famed girdle, Agamemnon's staff of office,^[2] Achilles' armor, Heracles' bronze clappers, Helios' chariot, the shoulder of Pelops, Eros' bow and arrows. Hephaestus worked with the help of the chthonic Cyclopes, his assistants in the forge. He also built automatons of metal to work for him. He gave to blinded Orion his apprentice Cedalion as a guide. In one version of the myth, Prometheus stole the fire that he gave to man from Hephaestus's forge. Hephaestus also created the gift that the gods gave man, the woman Pandora and her pithos. For other uses, see Hermes (disambiguation). ... Modern multi-colored Sandalette Yoga sandals In some parts of the United States, this type of sandal is referred to in slang as the mandal in that it is worn primarily by men. ... For other uses, see Aegis (disambiguation). ... This can also refer to a piece of riding equipment, see Breastplate (tack). ... The Birth of Venus, (detail) by Sandro Botticelli, 1485 For other uses, see Aphrodite (disambiguation). ... Youths boxing in a Minoan fresco on the Greek island of Santorini The word girdle originally meant a belt (or metaphorically speaking, something which confines or encloses, as in Tolkiens Girdle of Melian). ... This article is about a character in Greek mythology. ... For other uses, see Achilles (disambiguation). ... Alcides redirects here. ... This article is about the metal alloy. ... The bells of St Savas A bell is a simple sound-making device. ... For other uses, see Helios (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Chariot (disambiguation). ... In Greek mythology, Pelops (Greek Πέλοψ, from pelios: dark; and ops: face, eye) was venerated at Olympia, where his cult developed into the founding myth of the Olympic Games, the most important expression of unity, not only for the Peloponnesus, land of Pelops, but for all Hellenes. ... This article is about the Greek god Eros. ... For other uses, see Chthon (disambiguation). ... Cyclopes may refer to: Silky Anteater plural of Cyclops is a one-eyed monster in Greek mythology. ... The Canard Digérateur of Jacques de Vaucanson, hailed in 1739 as the first automaton capable of digestion. ... Not to be confused with Arion. ... In Greek mythology, Cedalion was a blacksmith who worked in the stables of Hephaestus. ... Prometheus Brings Fire to Mankind, by Heinrich Füger, (1817). ... For other uses, see Pandora (disambiguation) and Pandoras box (disambiguation). ...

In Iliad i.590, Zeus threw Hephaestus from Olympus because he released his mother Hera who was suspended by a golden chain between earth and sky, after an argument she had with Zeus. Hephaestus fell for nine days and nights before landing on the island of Lemnos where he grew to be a master craftsman and was allowed back into Olympus when his ability and usefulness became known to the gods.

Haphaestus in his forge, by Andrea Mantegna (1431)-(1506).

Hephaestus was quite ugly; he was crippled and misshapen at birth (though some believe it was a result of his fall): in the vase-paintings, his feet are sometimes back-to-front. In art, Hephaestus was shown lame and bent over his anvil. He walked with the aid of a stick. Another Homeric version of Hephaestus's myth has that Hera, mortified to have brought forth such grotesque offspring, promptly threw him from Mount Olympus. He fell many days and nights and landed in the ocean,^[3] where he was brought up by the Oceanids Thetis (mother of Achilles) and Eurynome. (Hephaestus’s physical appearance indicates arsenicosis, low levels of arsenic poisoning, resulting in lameness and skin cancers.^{[citation needed]} Arsenic was added to bronze to harden it and most smiths of the Bronze Age would have suffered from chronic workplace poisoning.) Image File history File links Size of this preview: 491 × 599 pixelsFull resolution (2024 × 2470 pixel, file size: 426 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Hephaestus ... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 491 × 599 pixelsFull resolution (2024 × 2470 pixel, file size: 426 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Hephaestus ... The Agony in the Garden (1455) is the pinnacle of Mantegnas early style. ... For other uses, see Homer (disambiguation). ... Mount Olympus (Greek: ; also transliterated as Mount Ólympos, and on modern maps, Óros Ólimbos) is the highest mountain in Greece at 2,919 meters high (9,576 feet)[1]. Since its base is located at sea level, it is one of the highest mountains in Europe, in real absolute altitude... In Greek and Roman mythology, the Oceanids were the three thousand children of the Titans Oceanus and Tethys. ... This article is about the Greek sea nymph. ... In Greek mythology, there were many women with the name Eurýnomê (far ruling). Wife of Ophion and a daughter of Oceanus (may be the same as the following) An Oceanid who mothered the Charites (may be the same as the following) Daughter of King Nisus of Megara and mother of... Arsenic poisoning kills by allosteric inhibition of essential metabolic enzymes, leading to death from multi-system organ failure. ... General Name, Symbol, Number arsenic, As, 33 Chemical series metalloids Group, Period, Block 15, 4, p Appearance metallic gray Standard atomic weight 74. ... Skin cancer is a malignant growth on the skin which can have many causes. ... The Bronze Age is a period in a civilizations development when the most advanced metalworking has developed the techniques of smelting copper from natural outcroppings and alloys it to cast bronze. ...

Hephaestus gained revenge against Hera for rejecting him by making her a magical golden throne which, when she sat on it, did not allow her to leave it. The other gods begged Hephaestus to return to Olympus to let her go but he repeatedly refused. Dionysus got him drunk and took him back to Olympus on the back of a mule. Hephaestus released Hera after being given Aphrodite, the goddess of love, as his wife. In another version of the myth, Hephaestus, being the most unfaltering of the gods, was given Aphrodite’s hand in marriage by Zeus in order to prevent conflict over her between the other gods. This article is about the ancient deity. ...

In either case, Hephaestus and Aphrodite had an arranged marriage and Aphrodite, disliking the idea of being married to unsightly Hephaestus, began an affair with Ares, the god of war. Eventually, Hephaestus found out about Aphrodite’s promiscuity from Helios, the all-seeing Sun, and planned a trap for them during one of their trysts. While Aphrodite and Ares lay together in bed, Hephaestus ensnared them in an unbreakable, chain-link net and dragged them to Mount Olympus to shame them in front of the other gods for retribution. However, the gods laughed at the sight of these naked lovers and Poseidon persuaded Hephaestus to free them in return for a guarantee that Ares would pay the adulterer's fine. The couple may also have been divorced, as suggested by Hephaestus's statement in Homer that he would return Aphrodite to her father and demand back his bride price. For other uses, see Helios (disambiguation). ... Neptune reigns in the city of Bristol. ... This article is about the act of adultery. ...

[edit] Additional information

The Thebans told that the union with Ares and Aphrodite produced Harmonia, as lovely as a second Aphrodite.^{[citation needed]} But of her union with Hephaestus, there was no issue, unless Virgil was serious when he said that Eros was their child.^[4] Although later authors might explain this statement when they say the love-god was sired by Ares but passed off to Hephaestus as his own son. For the ancient capital of Upper Egypt, see Thebes, Egypt. ... In Greek mythology, Harmonia is the immortal goddess of harmony and concord. ... For other uses, see Virgil (disambiguation). ... Look up eros, Eros, EROS in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ...

In Homer's Iliad the consort of Hephaestus is a lesser Aphrodite, Charis "the grace" or Aglaia "the glorious", the youngest of the Graces, as Hesiod calls her.^[5] Hephaestus fathered several children with mortals and immortals alike. One of those children was the robber Periphetes. With Thalia, Hephaestus was sometimes considered the father of the Palici. title page of the Rihel edition of ca. ... Aglaea is the name of five figures in Greek mythology // The youngest of the Charites, Aglaea or Aglaia (splendor, brilliant, shining one) was Hephaestus wife and Asclepius daughter in Greek mythology. ... The Three Graces, from Sandro Botticellis painting Primavera Uffizi Gallery In Greek mythology, the Charites were the graces. ... Roman bronze bust, the so-called Pseudo-Seneca, now identified by some as possibly Hesiod Hesiod (Hesiodos, ) was an early Greek poet and rhapsode, who presumably lived around 700 BC. Hesiod and Homer, with whom Hesiod is often paired, have been considered the earliest Greek poets whose work has survived... In Greek mythology, Periphetes, also known as Corynetes or the Club-Bearer, was a son of Hephaestus and Anticleia. ... For other uses, see Thalia (disambiguation). ... The term Palici refers to twin gods in Roman and, to a lesser extent, Greek mythology. ...

Hephaestus's symbols are a smith's hammer, an anvil and a pair of tongs. Sometimes he holds an axe. For other uses, see Anvil (disambiguation). ... Tongs used for cooking or serving food Tongs are gripping and lifting tools, of which there are many forms adapted to their specific use. ...

In some myths, Hephaestus built himself a "wheeled chair" with which to move around, thus helping him overcome his lameness while showing the other gods his skill.^[6]

Hephaestus was somehow connected with the archaic, pre-Greek Phrygian and Thracian mystery cult of the Kabeiroi, who were also called the Hephaistoi, "the Hephaestus-men," in Lemnos. One of the three Lemnian tribes also called themselves Hephaestion and claimed direct descent from the god. He had a follower who named himself Hephacules after him. In antiquity, Phrygia (Greek: ) was a kingdom in the west central part of the Anatolia. ... Thracian Tomb of Kazanlak  Thrace (Bulgarian: , Greek: , Attic Greek: ThrāíkÄ“ or ThrēíkÄ“, Latin: , Turkish: ) is a historical and geographic area in southeast Europe. ... The Kabeiroi (Cabiri) in Greek myth were a race of gods or god-like beings, closely connected with Hephaistos and with the Mother Goddess. ...

Hephaestus had comparatively few epithets. One was Hephaestus Aetnaeus, owing to his workshop supposedly being located below Mount Aetna.^[7] Etna redirects here. ...

[edit] Legacy

• The minor planet 2212 Hephaistos discovered in 1978 by Soviet astronomer Lyudmila Chernykh is named in his honor.^[8]

• A villain in the video game Diablo 2 is named Hephaestus, dwelling in the fiery location of Hell's Forge.

Minor planets, or asteroids or planetoids, are minor celestial bodies of the Solar system orbiting the Sun (mostly Small solar system bodies) that are smaller than major planets, but larger than meteoroids (commonly defined as being 10 meters across or less[1]), and that are not comets. ... CCCP redirects here. ... Diablo Diablo II is an action-oriented adventure and role-playing game (RPG) in a hack and slash style designed as a sequel to the popular Diablo. ...

[edit] Notes

Aeneas flees burning Troy, Federico Barocci, 1598 Galleria Borghese, Rome The Aeneid (IPA English pronunciation: ; in Latin Aeneis, pronounced — the title is Greek in form: genitive case Aeneidos) is a Latin epic written by Virgil in the 1st century BC (between 29 and 19 BC) that tells the legendary story... Theogony (Greek: Θεογονία, theogonia = the birth of God(s)) is a poem by Hesiod describing the origins and genealogies of the gods of the ancient Greeks, composed circa 700 BC. The title of the work comes from the Greek words for god and seed. // Hesiods Theogony is a large-scale... The name Aelian may refer to one of two people: Aelianus Tacticus, a Greek military writer of the 2nd century, who lived in Rome Claudius Aelianus, a Roman teacher and historian of the 3rd century, who wrote in Greek This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other...

[edit] External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to:

Hephaestus

• Theoi Project, Hephaestus in classical literature and art
• Greek Mythology Link, Hephaestus summary of the myths of Hephaestus