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Hephaistos

EE fes tos

‘Ηφαιστος

Hephaestus

Artificer of the Olympians

Hephaistos

Hephaistos Displays His Craft
Hephaistos and Thetis
The Wives of Hephaistos
Hephaistos and Pandora
Hephaistos and Orion
Hephaistos in The Iliad (reference)
Hephaistos in The Odyssey (reference)

The Son of Hera

Hephaistos is the lame son of Hera. In The Iliad (book 1, line 590), Hephaistos reveals how he became lame: at the climax of an domestic dispute, Hephaistos stood with his mother in defiance of Zeus. The Olympian Zeus, in his rage, caught Hephaistos by the foot and hurled him from the magic threshold of Mount Olympos (Olympus) to the earth far below. Three days later Hephaistos landed on the island of Lemnos, broken and nearly lifeless. The Nereid, Thetis, and Eurynome, mother of the Graces, found the shattered god and nursed him back to health. They were responsible for saving his life and he never forgot their kindness. Hera was violently shamed at the sight of her lame son and would have done him further harm had not Thetis and Eurynome hidden him. He worked secretly with the two goddesses for nine years in a cave perfecting his craft before emerging to claim his rightful place among the Olympians.

Hera tells a different story of how Hephaistos was ejected from Mount Olympos ... in the Homeric Hymn to Apollon (lines 311+), she says that she, not Zeus, cast Hephaistos into the sea. Hera also curses Thetis for caring for Hephaistos and says that surely there must have been other services she could have performed for the Immortals without encouraging her lame son.

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Hephaistos Displays His Craft

His skill with all things mechanical is phenomenal. He fashioned his own mechanical helpers to assist him in his work. They are golden and in the form of living young women; strong, vocal and intelligent. He built tri-pods that move of their own accord at the feasts on Mount Olympos. He built the homes of all the Olympians and fitted them with clever locks which the other Immortals cannot undo. With the help of the Cyclops, he hammers out lightning bolts for Zeus and all manner of subtle and gentle devices for the Immortals, heroes as well as for mere mortals. The Homeric Hymn to Hephaistos praises him for giving humankind the skills and crafts which allowed them to emerge from the caves and live in houses and have peaceful lives. (Iliad, book 18, lines 372 and 417)

Herakles (Heracles) was carrying a shield crafted by Hephaistos when he confronted and killed the son of Ares, Kyknos (Cycnus). The shield was alive with animated scenes from everyday life and brutally realistic acts of warfare and mayhem. When Odysseus encountered the ‘shade’ of Herakles at the entrance to the Underworld, he noted the grisly armor that Herakles wore and hoped that the artist who designed those horrid images would never again display his craft. (Odyssey, book 11, line 614)

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Hephaistos and Thetis

When Thetis went to Hephaistos for armor for her son, Achilles, she was greeted by Hephaistos and his wife Charis with open arms. Hephaistos never forgot the nurturing kindness that Thetis had freely given. The armor he made for Achilles was so bright, and obviously god-made, that the Trojans fled at the sight of such a divinely protected warrior. Those who didn’t flee were killed without mercy and stripped of their armor and their honor by the, seemingly invincible, Achilles. But even the skill of Hephaistos cannot protect mortals from the web and weave of the Erinys (Fates). Achilles was killed on the battlefield of Troy and the armor that Hephaistos gave him became the object of fierce dispute and hatred.

When Odysseus was at the entrance to the Underworld, he saw the sulking ‘shade’ of Aias (Ajax) and wanted to speak to the fallen hero but Aias would not even acknowledge Odysseus’ presence. After the death of Achilles at Troy, Aias desperately wanted the armor that Hephaistos had made for the, now dead, hero but it was given to Odysseus instead. Aias had never forgiven Odysseus, not even in death, for the injustice of not being awarded the dazzling god-crafted armor. (Odyssey, book 11, lines 540-563)

Also, when Thetis married Peleus, the newlyweds were presented a gift of an ashen spear which Cheiron (Chiron) had cut, Athene had polished and Hephaistos had fashioned the head. (Kypria, fragment 5)

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The Wives of Hephaistos

In The Iliad (book 18, line 382), we are told that Hephaistos’ wife is Charis which might be literally translated as Grace. In The Odyssey (book 8, line 269), we learn that his wife is Aphrodite (goddess of Love). When Helios (the Sun) saw Aphrodite and Ares (the god of War) in the embrace of love, he told Hephaistos of the deception. The noble smith devised a clever trap to snare the lovers and, once captured, displayed them to the other Immortals and proclaimed his anger and shame. Hephaistos refused to release the ensnared couple until he received an adulterers payment from Ares. Poseidon (lord of the Sea) offered to pay if Ares defaulted and Hephaistos finally loosed the embarrassed lovers from their bonds. (Odyssey, book 8, lines 292-366).

We also learn from the poem Theogony (line 946) that Hephaistos took Aglaia, the youngest of the Graces, as his wife. We are not told of their children or other details.

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Hephaistos and Pandora

When the first woman was crafted by the Immortals she was named Pandora. Her name means All-Endowed because, at the command of Zeus, she was given gifts from various Immortals and was thus Endowed By All.

Zeus created Pandora as a gift for Epimetheus and despite warnings from his brother Prometheus, Epimetheus accepted Pandora because she was irresistible. Pandora was the punishment to the race of men because Prometheus had given them fire stolen from Zeus.

Hephaistos molded Pandora’s body from earth into the likeness of a modest young girl. He also fashioned an animated and vocal golden crown for her head. Athene taught Pandora the skills of weaving and gave her dexterity. Aphrodite put a mist upon Pandora’s head to engender longings and desire. Hermes gave her the mind of a hussy and a treacherous nature. The Graces and Peitho (Persuasion) gave her necklaces of gold and the Seasons put a halo of flowers around Pandora’s head.

When Epimetheus accepted Pandora he unleashed all the evils on the world. The only positive influence that Pandora brought to the world of men was Hope (Ελπς) and although women were designed as a curse to men, the only thing worse than marriage was for a man to live and die without the love of a woman. (Works and Days, line 67) (Theogony, lines 570-612)

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Hephaistos and Orion

While the hunter Orion was on the island of Chios he outraged Merope, the daughter of Oenopion, by his drunkenness. Oenopion blinded Orion and the injured hunter was forced to flee to the island of Lemnos. Hephaistos took pity on Orion and gave him a servant named Kedalion (Cedalion) to act as his guide. Orion carried Kedalion on his shoulders to point out the roads and help him find his way around the world until he encountered Helios (the Sun) and was healed.

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Hephaistos is often confused with the Roman god, Volcanus.

Hephaistos in The Iliad

(listed by book and line)

The line numbers listed here correspond fairly well with the Lattimore and Murray/Wyatt translations of The Iliad. Other translations (Fitzgerald, Fagles et al) do not correspond as well but, with a small amount of effort, you should be able to find the reference you need regardless of the translation you use. Lattimore (ISBN 0226469409); A.T. Murray/William F. Wyatt Vol. I & II (ISBN 0674995791 and 0674995805); Robert Fitzgerald (ISBN 0374529051); Robert Fagles (ISBN 0140275363)

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Hephaistos in The Odyssey

(listed by book and line)

The line numbers listed here correspond fairly well with the Lattimore and Murray/Dimock translations of The Odyssey. Other translations (Fitzgerald, Fagles et al) do not correspond as well but, with a small amount of effort, you should be able to find the reference you need regardless of the translation you use. Richmond Lattimore (ISBN 0060931957); A.T. Murray/George E. Dimock Vol. I & II (ISBN 0674995619 and 0674995627); Robert Fitzgerald (ISBN 0374525749); Robert Fagles (ISBN 0140268863)

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