Hephaestus (Ἥφαιστος) is the Ancient Greek god of blacksmiths, metalworking, carpenters, craftsmen, artisans, sculptors, metallurgy, fire, and volcanoes. Hephaestus' Roman equivalent is Vulcan. In Greek mythology, Hephaestus was either the son of Zeus and Hera, or he was Hera's parthenogenous child, rejected by his mother because of his deformity and thrown off Mount Olympus and down to earth.
As a smithing god, Hephaestus made all the weapons of the gods in Olympus. He served as the blacksmith of the gods, and was worshipped in the manufacturing and industrial centers of Greece, particularly Athens. The cult of Hephaestus was based in Lemnos. Hephaestus' symbols are a smith's hammer, anvil, and a pair of tongs.
While the beauteous Gorgons sunned themselves by Mount Vesuvius, where Hephaestus, aka Vulcan had his workshop, the mountaintop was surprisingly quiet. Andromeda deduced that the god was probably up at the top of the spectacular cone, peering down, leering down, at the Gorgons' spectacular cones.
