Hephaestus Greek is the Greek god whose approximate Roman equivalent
is Vulcan; he is the god of technology including, specifically blacksmiths,
craftsmen, artisans, sculptors, metals and metallurgy, and fire. He was
worshipped in all the manufacturing and industrial centers of Greece, especially
Athens.
Though his forge traditionally lay in the heart of Lemnos, Hephaestus
was quickly identified by Greek colonists in southern Italy with the volcano
gods Adranus of Mount Etna and Vulcanus of the Lipara islands, and his
forge moved here by the poets. The first-century sage Apollonius of Tyana
is said to have observed, "there are many other mountains all over the
earth that are on fire, and yet we should never be done with it if we assigned
to them giants and gods like Hephaestus" (Life of Apollonius of Tyana,
book v.16).
Hephaestus (Roman Vulcan) is the son of Hera and Zeus, god of
fire and smiths, husband of Aphrodite. One of 12 great Olympian gods. |