God of fire, metalwork, building and the fine arts Hephaestus God of fire, metalwork, building and the fine arts By Neil, Ellie and Emma

General Facts He could transform himself into flames and create fabulous mechanical robotics. He built all of the gods houses, weapons, armour, charriots and thrones He gave them many gifts to repay favours His Roman name was Vulcan Hephaestus became faint during the fierce fighting in the Battle of the Giants

Role in Book 1 Addresses parents fight, saying: “It will be impossible to enjoy a good feast with so much trouble in the air” Hephaestus keeps the peace when Hera and Zeus are fighting, “Mother, be patient and swallow your resentment, or, much as I love you, I may see you thrashed here in front of me”, has no power over Zeus ‘a fit of helpless laughter seized the blessed gods as they watched him bustling up and down the hall’, ridiculed by other gods

Family Sometimes it is said that Hera alone produced him and he has no father He is married to Aphrodite, who is the goddess of love desire and beauty, or Aglaia, who was the goddess of beauty, splendor, glory, magnificence and adornment, or Charis, goddess of charm, beauty, nature, human creativity and fertility. Aphrodite cheated on him many times Some say that he is lame because Hera, upset by having an ugly child, flung him from Mount Olympus into the sea, breaking his legs. Others say that he took Hera's side in an argument with Zeus and Zeus flung him off Mount Olympus.

Devine Children Devine offspring with Aglaia: Like most of the gods the majority Hephaestus’ children were only linked to him with the briefest of genealogical references. Many of these appear to have been assigned to him simply because they were cripples. Devine offspring with Aglaia: Devine offspring with the Nymphe Kabeiro: Other Devine offspring: He had many other mortal children EUKLEIA The Goddess of Good Repute and Glory EUPHEME The Goddess of Being Well-Spoken EUTHENIA The Goddess of Prosperity and Plenty PHILOPHROSYNE The Goddess of Friendliness and Welcome THE KABEIROI Gods or Daimones of the Mysteries of the island of Samothrake THE KABEIRIDES Nymphai of the Mysteries of the island of Samothrake THE PALIKOI Gods of the Hot-Springs and Geysers of the region of Palikoi in Sikelia, sons of Hephaestus and Aitna THALEIA A Nymphe of the island of Sikelia