Who was the smith of the Greek gods?
According to the Olympian Creation myth the three one-eyed Cyclopes were the smiths of the Greek gods. Their names were Brontes, Steropes and Arges and, according to Robert Graves (Greek Myths, 1955) their “ghosts have dwelt in the caverns of the volcano Aetna since Apollo killed them in revenge for the death of (his son) Asclepius”. As smiths the Cyclopes were the makers of Zeus’ famous thunderbolts, with which he swaggered about the world terrifying and frequently murdering people. Elsewhere Hephaestus, god of fire, (Vulcan to the Romans) is credited with the title of smith. He is god of all artisans, particularly those working with metals, and the one-eyed Cyclopes were merely his assistants. Born weak and crippled his frightful mother Hera threw him off a mountain because she could not bear the sight of him. He took nine days and nine nights to fall and finally landed on the isle of Lemnos, where he built his palace and smithy under a volcano. Check encyclopaedia mythica for furthe
