Vulcan, known as Volcanus in Roman mythology, embodies the god of fire and forge, paralleling the Greek Hephaestus. The offspring of Jupiter and Juno, he was revered as the patron deity of blacksmiths and skilled craftsmen. Alongside his dominion over the forge, Vulcan’s association with destructive fires from natural phenomena, such as volcanoes, made him one of the more formidable figures in the pantheon.
Vulcan was honored through a dedicated festival, the Vulcanalia (or Hephaestia), which took place on August 23rd, complete with a temple situated on the Campus Martius, just outside of Rome. Due to widespread fears regarding fire hazards, many of his shrines were purposely established away from populated areas.
Origins and Family Dynamics
In his early years, Vulcan exhibited tremendous affection for his mother, Juno, despite her lack of similar feelings towards him. He often provided support to her during disputes with Jupiter. In a tale shared across both Greek and Roman traditions, Juno, filled with jealousy, confronted Jupiter, who, in a fit of rage, punished her by suspending her from the clouds via a golden chain. Vulcan, wishing to rescue her, was cast out of heaven by Jupiter. His fall lasted an entire day and night, leading to a landing on Mount Mosychulus on Lemnos, resulting in his permanent lameness and deformity, which seemed to overshadow his existence. His mother, Juno, never checked on him. The Roman version of this myth narrates Vulcan’s retreat to Mount Aetna, where he created a notable forge in collaboration with the Cyclopes named Bronte, Steropes, and Pyraemon.
Tragically, his deformity hindered his pursuit of happiness in romantic relationships. Vulcan initially faced rejection from Minerva (Athena), who vowed against marriage. Ultimately, as retribution for Venus’s pride and dismissal of suitors, Jupiter compelled the goddess of love to wed the less conventional Vulcan. Their union was short-lived, as she soon departed for the affections of others, including Mars. While Vulcan did wed one of the Graces, he again faced abandonment. Despite this, he fathered several children, interpreted by many as monstrous — including Cacus, who met his demise at the hands of Hercules, Periphetes slain by Theseus, and Cercyon, another victim of the same hero. He was rumored to be the biological father of Servius Tullius, a notable king of Rome.
The Golden Throne
Many of Vulcan’s narratives mirror those of Hephaestus, making distinctions difficult. A notable tale involves the creation of a golden throne. In a bid for vengeance against his mother, Vulcan fashioned an exquisite throne for Juno, concealing intricate springs within. At first glance, the chair seemed innocuous, but once occupied, it ensnared its victim. Satisfied with its beauty, Juno discovered her imprisonment upon sitting, and the gods failed in their attempts to rescue her. Ultimately, Mercury was dispatched to Vulcan’s forge to plead for her release. Vulcan, sworn never to return to Olympus, refused, but was eventually swayed by Bacchus, who offered him wine. This compelled Vulcan to consent, after which he returned to his forge to craft magnificent dwellings for the gods.
The Birth of Minerva
In yet another Roman narrative, Vulcan plays a role in the birth of Minerva. When Jupiter suffered excruciating headaches, despite the efforts of all the gods to relieve him, he sought help from Vulcan. Without hesitation, Vulcan split open Jupiter’s skull with an axe, resulting in Minerva emerging fully armed. She would become the goddess representing wisdom and strategic warfare. In the Greek recounting, the creator was Hephaestus, who, upon Prometheus’s urging, took action. Homer elaborates in “The Homeric Hymns,” highlighting the awe that surrounded her armored appearance upon birth.
Ovid’s Metamorphoses
Only Vulcan, not Hephaestus, is featured in Ovid’s “Metamorphoses” and Virgil’s “Aeneid.” Ovid’s work chronicles the story of Rome from its early origins leading up to the end of Julius Caesar’s life, highlighting human interactions with the divine alongside the tales of various heroes. Within the text, Ovid recounts a Bacchic celebration where the daughters of Minyas opted out of festivities in favor of weaving. They engaged in storytelling, with one reciting the tragic love story of Pyramus and Thisbe, while another detailed Venus’s infidelity with Mars. Witnessing their affair, Vulcan was driven to craft a delicate bronze net to ensnare them in the act, parading them before the gods for amusement.
Virgil’s Aeneid
Virgil’s “Aeneid” has a significant prominence in Roman literature. Although Virgil expressed dissatisfaction with his epic, the emperor Augustus celebrated it, considering it a testament to Rome’s destiny. The narrative follows Aeneas, a Trojan warrior who fled the ruins of Troy and arrived at Italy, where his descendants, Romulus and Remus, would found Rome. In urging her husband Vulcan for assistance, Venus sought weapons for Aeneas as a war loomed against Latium, pleading with Vulcan to abandon other tasks and forge armor fit for her son. The Cyclopes quickly set to work creating formidable arms, including a prophetic shield showcasing Rome’s historical events, such as the Battle of Actium.
Conclusion
In contrasting the two, Roman myths often find a semblance in Greek literature. However, the Romans distinguished themselves by encapsulating their legends in prose, providing historical context and a cornerstone for their civilization. The planets in our solar system honor Roman gods rather than their Greek counterparts, though it is unfortunate that Vulcan has not received similar recognition among celestial bodies, finding only a connection to the vulcanization process in rubber.
