ephaestus, is the God of blacksmith's, craftsmen, artisans, metallurgy and the fire. He was worshiped in all the manufacturing and industrial centers of Greece especially in Athens, even so his forge lay on the Greek island of Lemnos. In Athens, the Temple "Theseion" , was the center of the high holidays and was dedicated to Hephaestus. Picture below: The "Theseion" Hephaestus was born of Hera alone. Some ancient authors say Hera invented the legend of his virgin birth because he was conceived before her marriage to Zeus. Others claim that he was conceived from Hera's brooding over Zeus' creation of Athena. Whether Zeus fathered Hephaestus or not, he rejected him forthwith. In one version, Hera abandoned him also, hurling her lame son into the sea from Olympian heights.Thetis and Eurynome rescued and cared for him and he was later again accepted in Olympus. Picture above: Hephaestus readmission to Olympus Picture left: Even so Hephaestus was unattractive and walked with a limp, the beautiful Aphrodite was his wife. Picture right: Zeus hates Hephaestus. Hephaestus gained revenge against Hera for rejecting him as a child, by making her a magical golden throne which, when she sat on it, didn't allow her to leave it. The other gods begged Hephaestus to return to Olympus to let her go but he repeatedly refused. Dionysus got him drunk and took him back to Olympus on the back of a mule. Hephaestus released Hera after being given Aphrodite, the goddess of love, as his wife Although married to Hephaestus, Aphrodite gave herself in secret to Ares, according to a tale in the Odyssey. When Hephaestus found out about it from Helios, the Sun, who sees all, he surprised them during one of their trysts ensnared them in his invisibly fine and unbreakable net and left them exposed for all of Olympus to see. The Thebans told that the union with Ares produced Harmonia, as lovely as a second Aphrodite. Hephaestus has besides his legitimate children, a number of offspring from many Lovers. The Greek Hephaestus equals the Roman Vulcanus.