Classical Mythology, 7th Edition - obinfonet: dia logou

118 THE MYTHS OF CREATION: THE GODS
him drunk and brought him back to Olympus triumphantly. On vases this scene
is variously depicted with a tipsy Hephaestus on foot or astride a donkey, led
by Dionysus alone or with his retinue.
We are also told that he was hurled to earth (presumably on an another occasion?),
this time by Zeus. Hephaestus landed on the island of Lemnos, was
rescued, and eventually returned home. Lemnos in classical times was an important
center of his worship. Other volcanic regions (e.g., Sicily and its environs)
were also associated with this divine smith; these places bore testimony
to the fire and smoke that at times would erupt from his forge.
At the close of Book 1 of the Iliad, Hephaestus himself recounts the episode
of Zeus' anger against him. We excerpt this passage because it illustrates many
The Return of Hephaestus, detail from an Attic black-figure column-krater by Lydos, ca. 550
B.c.; circumference 74 in., height 23 in. The procession is painted round the vase, with
Dionysus on one side and on the other (shown here) Hephaestus riding on a mule and
accompanied by Sileni, satyrs, and dancing maenads. A snake, bunches of grapes, and
wineskins emphasize the role of Dionysus in the myth of the drunken Hephaestus' return
to Olympus. (The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Fletcher Fund, 1931 (31.ll.Uobv.). All
rights reserved, The Metropolitan Museum of Art.)