Without prior intercourse, Hera gave birth to Hephaestus (Hephaistos in ancient Greek), the god of the forge and fire. But he was born lame, which shamed the goddess, so she cast him down from ...

“Hephaestus spoke, then stood up, passed a double goblet across to his dear mother… As he spoke, the white-armed goddess Hera smiled,” Homer writes. “She reached for her son’s goble ...