In Greek mythology, Hephaestus was the blacksmith of the Olympians and husband of Aphrodite.
Hephaestus was the divine craftsman who forged weapons, armor, jewelry, and other objects for the gods. His workshop was imagined beneath volcanic regions, linking him with fire and metalworking. Myths often portray him as physically impaired, a striking contrast to the idealized bodies commonly given to other gods.
Ancient sources disagree about his parentage. Hera is sometimes said to have produced him alone, while other traditions make him the son of Hera and Zeus. Stories also vary about how he came to live away from Olympus and later return.
His marriage to Aphrodite was famously unhappy. Aphrodite’s relationship with Ares appears in several myths, including the tale in which Hephaestus traps the lovers in an invisible net.