Hera asked her where she found the jewel. Thetis hesitated, but
Hera forced the truth out of her. When Hera found out that she got the jewel
from Hephaestus, she immediately brought him back to Olympus where he could put
his talent to a better use. Hera made him work day and night and she made
something of him.22 When Hephaestus moved back to Olympus, he was reconciled
with Hera. When Hera rebelled against Zeus, Hephaestus reproached Zeus for
hanging her from the wrists from heaven. He should have kept silent though,
because Zeus just became angry and threw him from Mt. Olympus for a second time.
It took a whole day to fall. He landed on the island of Lemnos and broke both of
his legs. When he went back to Olympus, he could only walk with help of
golden-leg supports.23 Hephaestus was an ill-tempered, ugly god, but he had
immense power in his arms and shoulders. One time, he made a set of golden
mechanical women to help him in his work. The women could talk and complete very
difficult tasks. He also made a set of three-legged tables with golden wheels
that could run by themselves.24 Hephaestus' twenty-three three legged tables
have much of the same origin as Gasterocheires who built the Tiryns. The origin
of the three-legged tables is that they represent the three-season years, and
they denote the length of his reign was twenty years long. LOVE AND MARRIAGE
According to most myths, the reason Hephaestus and Aphrodite were married is
because Hephaestus asked Zeus for her as a reward for reconciling his parents.
Aphrodite didn't refuse. Some people think this marraige is appropriate because
it is a union of inner and outer beauty.
But many people do not agree because
they have nothing in common--her sensual beauty differs from his ugliness; her
playful spirit contrasted with his steady, serious temperament; her
unfaithfulness and irresponsibility, and his workmanship ethics. Although these
two were so different, Hephaestus loved Aphrodite. She didn't exactly feel the
same way about him though. Instead, she had frequent affairs with many different
Gods. In one particular affair that Aphrodite had with Ares, Hephaestus set up a
trap that caught them while they were making love. Hephaestus summoned all the
gods together, in hope that he make Aphrodite the laughing stock of Olympus. His
plan backfired on him though, actually revealing himself as someone who was
attempting to retain the love and devotion from his wife.25 Now that Hephaestus
had embarrassed himself in front of all of the gods, Hephaestus became unhappy
in his marriage to Aphrodite. He lost all interest in her and turned his
attention to Athena who, like Aphrodite, was not in love with him. Hephaestus
fell in love with Athena when she came to him for a spear. When he tried to
initiate intercourse, she rejected him.26 HEPHAESTUS AND APHRODITE Both
Hephaestus and Aphrodite are powerful and popular figures of Greek mythology.
They did many great, and maybe not so great, things during their lifetimes that
are still remembered today. They were both main gods on Mt. Olympus. They may
have not had many great times with each other according to myth, but they were
still significant gods who had great lives. Many people use both of these gods
to relate to things today, and they will be remembered for years and years to
come. Their characters in Greek mythology are very significant and they will not
be forgotten anytime soon.
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