In Greek mythology, Hephaestus (in ancient Greek Ἥφαιστος / Hêphaistos, possibly from φαίνω / phaínô, "to shine") is the god of fire, forges and volcanoes. He is usually depicted as a lame blacksmith, but he is first and foremost a divine inventor and creator of magical objects. His name often appears in Greek poetry as a synonym for "fire".
He is equated by the Romans with Vulcan (sometimes called Mulciber).
Hera, jealous of the fact that Zeus fathered Athena alone, and to show her that she too could do without him, fathers Hephaestus alone, although some authors still cite Zeus as a father. But when she gives birth to him, she finds him so ugly that she throws him down Olympus. He then falls into the sea and is taken in by Thetis and Eurynomé, who will raise him for nine years in a cave on the island of Lemnos, where he will build his first forge, before returning to Olympus. According to an alternative version of his birth, which Pausanias attributes to Cinethon, he was the son of Talos, a bronze giant.
According to the Iliad (XVIII, 382 et seq.), he is married to one of the Charites (or Graces), who simply bears the name of Charis (literally “Grace”)[1]. Same thing in the Theogony (v. 907), but Hesiod explicitly mentions the name of Aglaé, the youngest of the Charites. However, the most popular tradition makes him the husband of Aphrodite, this version being already attested in a famous episode of the Odyssey (canto VIII), where he lays a trap for his wife who cheats on him with Ares, and becomes the laughingstock of the gods.
Having one day defended his mother Hera in front of Zeus, the latter, angry, throws him through the air; his heavy fall is the cause of his lameness. This relative disgrace contrasts with the portrait of the other Olympians (especially since he is the husband of Aphrodite, goddess of beauty), and causes him to be mocked by them. This singularity is further reinforced by a more benevolent and less angry character than the other gods, even if he is not free from passions.
Very skilful in his art, Hephaestus fashions remarkable objects (one thinks of the shield of Achilles in the Iliad, whose covering offers a perfect image of the world). He also made all kinds of objects such as Aphrodite's belt, the chariot of the Sun, the palace of the gods, the first woman (Pandora), the trident of Poseidon, the arrows of Artemis and Apollo, the necklace of Harmony, the throne of Zeus and Hera, the thunderbolt of Zeus, the chains that will bind Prometheus to Mount Caucasus, etc.
* Its attributes:the hammer, the anvil;
* Sanctuary:Lemnos, Etna.