Some say that Hepheastus was the son of Hera alone, that he had no father. They say that Hera produced him alone after Athena was born from the head of Zeus to show that she too could have a child without anyone's help. But they also say that Zeus was his father. When he was born he was ugly, he alone of the ideally beautiful gods. Hera, in disgust, flung him out of the heavens. He fell into the sea and was rescued by Thetis and Eurynome. The Nereids treated him kindly and kept him with them in a cavern beneath the sea for nine years. It was because of her kindness that Hepheastus, in the Trojan war, made new armor for Achilles, son of Thetis.

While living under the sea Hepheastus, "Equally skilled in both hands," made a golden throne to which he attached golden mesh fetters, so fine they were invisible. This he sent to Hera, to punis

But Zeus was angry at Hera for causing Hercacles to be shipwrecked on the isle of Cos. She was punished by being hung out of heaven with anvils attached to each of her feet. Hephaestus begged him to let her go to try and protect his mother. Angry at his interference, Zeus flung him again out of heaven. One whole day he fell and landed at last on the island of Lemnos. Half-dead he was rescued and cared for by the Lemnians, for which reason Lemnos became one of his favorite haunts. Some say that both his legs were broken from the fall and that he was ever after lame. But some say that he was born lame. He made himself golden maidens that could move by themselves and these helped him to walk and assisted him in his forge. And in his forge he made golden tripods on wheels, that went of themselves to the gatherings of the gods. He never again interfered with the quarrels of Zeus and Hera. On the contrary, he tried to persuade his mother to yield to the will of her husband in the future.

h her for hurling him down from the heavens. When she sat on the throne she was immediately held fast by the invisible fetters. The gods of heaven tried to get Hepheastus to come back to Olympus and free her. He refused. Ares threatened him with force. Hepheastus compelled him to withdraw by menacing him with molten missiles. Dionysus came to try his persuasions. Hephaestus trusted him and received him. Dionysus got him drunk and led him to Olympus where he agreed to free Hera from the throne. From then on he took his place with the gods and was greatly loved by them and he built great bronze pa

Some common words found in the essay are:
Aphrodite Ares, Hepheastus Olympus, , Hepheastus Hephaestus, Zeus Hera, Lemnos Half-dead, Hepheastus Equally, Eurynome Nereids, Hepheastus Trojan, olympian gods, trojan war, marriage bed, hera throne, golden mesh, fine invisible, aphrodite ares,
Approximate Word count = 1081
Approximate Pages = 4 (250 words per page double spaced)