Editing Hephaestus (section)

=== Craft of Hephaestus ===
[[File:Atenas, Ágora 03.jpg|thumb|The Doric [[Temple of Hephaestus]], [[Agora of Athens]]]][[File:Anthonis van Dyck 066.jpg|thumb|250px|''[[Thetis Receiving the Weapons of Achilles from Hephaestus]]'' by [[Anthony van Dyck]] (1630–1632)]][[File:Peter Paul Rubens 177.jpg|right|250px|thumb|''[[Vulcan (mythology)|Vulcan]] Presenting the Arms of Achilles to Thetis'' by [[Peter Paul Rubens]].]]Hephaestus had his own palace on Olympus, containing his workshop with anvil and twenty [[bellows]] that worked at his bidding.<ref>Il. xviii. 370, &c.</ref> He crafted much of the magnificent equipment of the gods, and almost any finely wrought metalwork imbued with powers that appears in Greek myth is said to have been forged by Hephaestus. He designed all the thrones in the Palace of Olympus,<ref name="Graves 1960 150">{{cite book |last=Graves |first=Robert |title=Greek Gods and Heroes |publisher=Dell Laurel-Leaf |year=1960 |location=United States of America |pages=150 |chapter=The Palace of Olympus}}</ref> the [[Aegis]] [[breastplate]], [[Hermes]]' [[winged helmet]] and [[Talaria|sandals]], [[Aphrodite]]'s famed [[Girdle of Aphrodite|girdle]], [[Eros (mythology)|Eros]]'s bow and arrows, [[Helios]]' chariot, [[Heracles]]' bronze [[clapper (musical instrument)|clappers]], and the shoulder of [[Pelops]].<ref name=":0">The provenance of the staff of office is recounted in ''Iliad'' II</ref> 

Hephaestus also created the gift that the gods gave to mankind: the first woman [[Pandora]] and her [[pithos]]. In some versions of the myth,<ref>{{cite journal |last=West |first=Martin L. |year=1979 |title=The Prometheus Trilogy |journal=The Journal of Hellenic Studies |volume=99 |issue=99 |pages=130–148 |doi=10.2307/630637 |jstor=630637 |s2cid=161700684}}</ref> [[Prometheus]] stole the fire that he gave to man from Hephaestus's forge. 

Hephaestus gave to the blinded [[Orion (mythology)|Orion]] his apprentice [[Cedalion]] as a guide. In later accounts, Hephaestus worked with the [[Cyclopes]] Brontes, Steropes and Arges, who were highly skilled blacksmiths in their own right and forged [[Zeus]]' [[Thunderbolt|thunderbolts]], [[Poseidon|Poseidon's]] [[trident]] and [[Hades]]' [[Cap of invisibility|helmet of darkness]].<ref name="Graves 1960 150" /><ref>Virg. Aen. viii. 416, &c.</ref>

==== Automatons ====
According to [[Homer]], Hephaestus built [[automaton]]s of metal to work for him or others. This included tripods with golden wheels, able to move at his wish in and out the assembly hall of the celestials;<ref>[[Homer]], ''[[Iliad]]'', 18. 373–379</ref> and "handmaidens wrought of gold in the semblance of living maids", who had "understanding in their hearts, and speech and strength", as a gift of the gods. They moved to support Hephaestus while walking.<ref>[[Homer]], ''[[Iliad]]'', 18. 417–421</ref> And he put golden and silver lions and dogs at the entrance of the palace of [[Alkinoos]] in such a way that they could bite the invaders; these guard dogs didn't age nor perish.<ref>[[Homer]], ''[[Odyssey]]'', 7. 91–4</ref>

A similar golden dog (''Κυων Χρυσεος'') was set by Rhea to guard the infant Zeus and his nurse, the goat [[Amalthea (mythology)|Amaltheia]], on the island of Krete. Later [[Tantalus]] was said to have stolen the automaton when it guarded Zeus's temple, or to have persuaded [[Pandareus|Pandareos]] to steal it for him. Later texts attempt to replace the automaton with the idea that the golden dog was actually [[Rhea (mythology)|Rhea]], transformed by Hephaestus.<ref>Antoninus Liberalis, ''Metamorphoses'', 11 and 36.</ref>