Hephaestus And The Gods

Hephaestus is among those the ancient Greeks worshiped as gods. He possessed many of those traits which were necessarily found in any one who was thought to be a god. He was born of the god Hera (some say Zeus as well), he possessed the immortality of a god, and he had god-like abilities to perform his craft. These facts, mainly that he was conceived of gods, cemented his status as a god, although many of the things he did stand in sharp contrast to what would traditionally be thought of as typical of a god. Hephaestus chose to lead a life of isolation both from the other gods and from the humans, preferring to spend his time working on various projects of his. It is upon closer examination of these behaviors that we are able to see to what …show more content…
There seems to be a clear social hierarchy among the gods, with some exhibiting clear authority and others content to follow. Hephaestus's place in this hierarchy fairly sums up his standing with the gods in general. There exist constantly changing alliances and feuds among various gods, and while many of his peers find themselves caught up in a constant state of bickering, Hephaestus maintains an indifferent attitude towards the drama and conflict ever so present on Mount Olympus. At no point does he show favor towards any, as he distributes his crafts as gifts to those who ask, not to those whose approval he seeks. A prime example of the role he takes in the human world is his role in the Iliad. In any epic, one will find specific gods pushing heavily for one side or another, involving themselves in the affairs of humans. It is not unusual for gods to take an interest in the happenings of mortals to such a degree that they are willing to come into conflict with other gods in order to ensure a victory for the side they support. Haephestus however is rarely if ever seen at the site of a battle, or found making any attempts to sway the outcome of a war. When it comes to human affairs, Hephaestus is mentioned almost exclusively as the creator of the weapons used by …show more content…
It is as a result of this role of his that he was primarily worshiped in manufacturing cities. Hephaestus takes it upon himself to create many of the weapons and tools used by the gods. The page dedicated Hephaestus on the website “Greek Gods and Goddesses” lists the some of the following: he creates Helios’ chariot, and for Zeus he crafted lightening bolts. Achilles armor comes from his workshop, as does Agamemnon's sword. Before Hephaestus created Pandora as per Zeus’s request, the human race was comprised entirely of men. Hephaestus's doing have a great effect on the humans and gods, although the role he plays is both indirect and the results of his actions unintentional. In a manner typical of Hephaestus, there never seems to be any attempt on his part to turn his work into profit, or to use the gifts to win favors. He simply idles his time away doing his craft and cares little for anything