what is hephaestus the god of

Hephaestus is the Greek god of artisans, blacksmiths, carpenters, craftsmen, fire, metallurgy, metalworking, sculpture, and volcanoes. He was the son of Zeus and Hera, and his Roman counterpart is Vulcan. Hephaestus was either cast off Mount Olympus by his mother Hera because of his lameness, the result of a congenital impairment, or by Zeus for protecting Hera from his advances. As a smithing god, Hephaestus made all the weapons of the gods in Olympus. He was worshipped in the manufacturing and industrial centers of Greece, particularly Athens, and the cult of Hephaestus was based in Lemnos. Hephaestuss symbols are a smiths hammer, anvil, and a pair of tongs. Hephaestus is among the male what Athena is among the female deities, for he gives skill to mortal artists and was believed to have taught men the arts which embellish and adorn life.