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Historical person

Hephaestus

Hephaestus was the Greek god of metalworking, fire and divine craftsmanship. He forges armour, weapons and wondrous objects for gods and heroes, including the shield of Achilles, while myths of his rejection and return explore status within the divine household.

Greek myths place Hephaestus at the centre of divine craftsmanship: he creates palaces, armour, automata and other extraordinary objects for gods and heroes. Different traditions describe his fall from Olympus and his marriage to Aphrodite in varying ways, but his physical lameness is a recurring feature. Ancient worship connected him especially with artisans, metalworkers and the transformative power of fire.

In Homer’s The Iliad, Hephaestus intervenes directly in the Trojan War by forging the new armour Achilles needs after Patroclus is killed, including the celebrated shield whose images widen the poem beyond the battlefield. The Odyssey shows a different side of the god in the song of his trap for Aphrodite and Ares, where his skill as a craftsman becomes the means by which he exposes the lovers before the other gods.

Periods

Periods linked to Hephaestus

Greek Mythology and Heroic LegendMythic and archaic tradition

Series

Historical novels and book series featuring Hephaestus (1 series)

Penguin Classics: Ancient World in Order

by various authors 32 books 4.6(13,212)

Penguin Classics: Ancient World brings together foundational works of literature, history, philosophy, drama and poetry from the earliest civilisations through classical Greece and Rome. The wider Penguin Classics series began in 1946 with E. V. Rieu’s translation of Homer’s Odyssey, reflecting its original aim of making important texts…

All books in this series