Hephæstus
Family: Greek mythology · Role: god · First appears: Book 1 · Chapter 2
In Book 1, Chapter 2, Erichthonius is described as the child of Hephæstus and Mother Earth. Chapter 20 recounts that Hera exposed Hephæstus at birth; later, Dionysus, with whom Hephæstus had good relations, made him drunk and took him to Heaven. Hephæstus then sent Hera a golden seat with invisible bonds, leaving her a prisoner when she sat in it.
In Book 2, Chapter 1, Periphetes is called Hephæstus’s putative son, and in Chapter 31 Ardalus, his son, is said to have built a temple of the Muses. In Book 5, Chapter 19, Thetis receives armor from Hephæstus in connection with Patroclus’s death. Other accounts associate him with Athene, whom he pursues, and with Hera, whom he binds; Homer also names Charis as his wife and credits him with works including Achilles’ shield and Zeus’s sceptre.
Relationship record
Life events
- Dionysus made Hephæstus drunk and took him to Heaven.(Book 1 · Chapter 20 · 📍 Heaven)
- With: Dionysus
- “Dionysus, whose relations with Hephæstus were always good, made him drunk and took him to Heaven.”
- Ardalus built the temple of the Muses.(Book 2 · Chapter 31)
- With: Ardalus
- “a temple of the Muses, built they say by Ardalus, the son of Hephæstus”
- Thetis receives armor from Hephæstus in connection with Patroclus's death.(Book 5 · Chapter 19)
Book 1 · Chapter 2
- child: Erichthonius “his parents were Hephæstus and Mother Earth”
Book 1 · Chapter 14
- with Athene (A statue of Athene was placed in Hephæstus's temple.) “is a temple of Hephæstus, and that a statue of Athene was placed in it”
Book 1 · Chapter 20
- parent: Hera (Hera is presented as Hephæstus's mother.) “Hera exposed Hephæstus on his birth”
- friends with Dionysus (Their relations are explicitly described as always good.) “Dionysus, whose relations with Hephæstus were always good, made him drunk and took him to Heaven.”
- with Dionysus (Dionysus took Hephæstus to Heaven.) “Dionysus, whose relations with Hephæstus were always good, made him drunk and took him to Heaven.”
- enemies with Hera “Hephæstus on his birth, and he nursing up his grievance against her sent her as a gift a golden seat with invisible bonds, so that when she sat in it she was a prisoner”
Book 2 · Chapter 1
- child: Periphetes (The text describes Periphetes as the putative son of Hephæstus.) “Periphetes the putative son of Hephæstus”
Book 2 · Chapter 31
- child: Ardalus “Ardalus, the son of Hephæstus”