Hephaestus In The Odyssey

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Hephaestus, was one of the twelve Greek Gods, the lame God of blacksmiths, sculptors, metallurgy, fire, and volcanos. He is symbolised with a hammer, anvil, or a pair of tongs. As stated in Homer’s epics, the Iliad and the Odyssey, he is the son of Zeus, the king of gods, and Hera, the goddess of women and marriage. Contradicting that, according to Hesiod Hera had Hephaestus alone; because she was jealous that Zeus bred Aphrodite by himself. Hera reportedly after Hephaestus was born threw him off Mount. Olympus because he was ugly, when he fell Hephaestus broke both his legs, leaving him crippled. He fell into the ocean and was brought up by Thetis and Eurynome, the goddesses of the sea. Hephaestus never forgave Hera. As revenge he fashioned …show more content…

He was worshipped particularly in manufacturing and crafting fields, especially in Athens. Hephaestus crafted many creations, most notable being Pandora. According to Hesiod, Zeus ordered Hephaestus to create a women irresistible to man or god. Zeus planned revenge against Prometheus, a titan who mocked Zeus. She was molded from Earth and water and once her body was ready, The Four Winds breathed life into it. She was given all of the gifts from the gods. Aphrodite gave her beauty, grace, and decisive. Hermes gave her a cunning mind and a clever tongue. Athena clothed her and gave her nimble hands. Poseidon gave her a pearl necklace that would prevent her from drowning. Apollo taught her to play the lyre and sing. Zeus gave her a foolish and mischievous deposition. Finally, Hera gave her the gift that would lead to her downfall, curiosity. Pandora was born and descended down onto earth along with a beautifully gilded box from Zeus with a warning never to open it. She married Epimetheus, Prometheus brother who warned him not to accept a gift from Zeus, as he was aware he was still mad at him. Epimetheus so enchanted by Pandora ignored his brother and married Pandora anyways. The gift of Hera’s curiosity finally got the best of Pandora and she opened the box; releasing sickness, death, turmoil, strife, jealousy, famine, and evil. Pandora was a pawn in Zeus’s game of revenge. Pandora weighed down by her actions was left with hope, the only good virtue Zeus hid in the box. From then on hope would be in every man, for when life’s evils weighed him

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