The Ancients8 Jan 2023

Hephaestus: God of Fire

This episode contains references to sexual assault and terms for groups which were classified that way at the time.

Hephaestus, son of Zeus and Hera, is the God of fire and foundry in Greek mythology.

He is the only god with a disability, a part of his identity that becomes a double-edged sword. Often treated disparagingly by the rest of the Greek pantheon as a result, chiefly by his own mother, Hera, who in some versions of mythology throws him off Mount Olympus she’s so ashamed of him, it also becomes a key component of his wisdom and creativity, using his blacksmith powers for both good and bad. In this episode, Tristan Hughes is joined by University of Oxford’s Dr Steve Kershaw where together they discuss Hephaestus’s origin story, his controversial marriage to Aphrodite, and why in Dr Kershaw’s words, he is “the god that should never be underestimated”.

The Senior Producer was Elena Guthrie

Script written by Andrew Hulse

Voice over performed by Nichola Woolley

The Assistant Producer was Annie Coloe

If you enjoyed this episode, you might also enjoy other episodes in the series: Zeus: King of the Gods and Hera: Queen of the Gods.

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