A Short Talk about HephaestusJason Yuan

● Known to Greeks as Hephaestus● Known to Romans as Vulcan● God of craftsmanship, fire, and forge● Makes armor and weapons for the Gods● son of Zeus and Hera● used a volcano as a forge, assisted by Cyclopes● was worshipped by the industrial centers of

Athens● believed to be of equal status to Athena; he

taught mortals the arts alongside her

General Stats

● the thrones of the Olympian Gods● Hermes’ winged helmet and sandals● Achilles’ indestructible armor● Helios’ chariot● Pandora, the first woman sent to Earth● A magnificent girdle belonging to Aphrodite● Hercules’ bronze clappers, which he used to

scare away man eating birds during one of his labors

Some of his crafts include:

● Hera threw him from the heavens down into the sea, he was an ugly god

● was found and raised by Thetis● made a throne for Hera that glued her

down on it so that she couldn’t stand up ● was begged on by the gods to return to

Olympus● Dionysus brought him eventually after

intoxicating him with wine

Exile and Revenge

● was given Aphrodite as a bride from Zeus● Aphrodite disliked getting into a relationship with

an ugly god; she instead had one with Ares● Hephaestus discovers this through Helios● he ensnared the 2 lovers with an unbreakable

chain net as they lay sleeping and brought them trapped to Olympus to shame them

● eventually releases the 2 lovers, Ares pays a fine

Love Life and Conflict

Painting by Gaetano Gandolfi(1734-1802) of Aphrodite visiting Hephaestus at his Forge

sculpture of Hephaestus at the forge by Guillaume Coustou(1716-1777)

Hephaestus Painting in Ancient Greece, 5th century BC artist unknown

Thanks very much for your attention.