As one of the twelve Olympians, the god Hephaestus was a major deity for the ancient Greeks. In Greek mythology, Hephaestus was primarily the god of fire and smiths, but he was also in charge of other crafts, including sculpting and carpentry. Married to the goddess Aphrodite and son of Zeus and Hera, the king and queen of Mount Olympus, the god Hephaestus appears in many of the famed legends of the ancient Greeks.

Some ancient writers, such as the poet Homer, claimed that the god Hephaestus was the son of  Zeus and Hera. Others however, such as Hesiod, stated that Hera conceived the god on her own. In any case, Hephaestus is said to have been born very ugly, which is an anomaly as the other Greek deities were believed to be physically flawless.

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Hephaestus was commonly depicted as a bearded middle-aged man with a large physique, usually described as wearing a short, sleeveless tunic, as this was the clothing of choice of craftsmen. As a craftsman himself, Hephaestus was associated with such tools of the trade as hammers, anvils, and tongs.

Read more: Ancient Origins