Hephaestus on work, a painting by Peter Paul Rubens

Hephaestus (Greek: Ἥφαιστος, Hēphaistos) is the Greek god of fire, metalworking, craftsmen, sculpture, metallurgy and volcanoes. His parents were Zeus and Hera, Hephaestus was the blacksmith of the gods. He was married to the goddess Aphrodite, who cheated on him with his brother Ares. His symbols were a smith's hammer, an anvil, and a pair of tongs. The donkey was his sacred animal. The god Vulcan is his Roman equivalent. view more...