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Although he was a recluse, happy to spend long hours in his workshop alone, Hephaestus was sometimes lonely and missed having a woman in his life. Attracted to the golden Athena, the goddess of wisdom, he sought to impregnate and marry her. Though Athena was fond of the gentle and talented Hephaestus, she had no interest in romance or marriage and turned him down. When she cast him aside, his semen fell to the ground and fertilized the earth, producing a son, who later became the first ruler of the city of Athens. Athena graciously reared the child.

When the drop-dead-gorgeous Aphrodite arrived in their midst, Zeus, fearful that all the gods would be warring over her, arranged for her to marry Hephaestus. Zeus felt that the solid, dependable Hephaestus would make a good mate for Aphrodite, and perhaps even "settle her down" a bit. Aphrodite didn't refuse the ceremony but felt she was married "in name only" and had several love affairs, often leaving the miserable Hephaestus the unfortunate butt of everyone's jokes.

Faithful, loving, and generous, Hephaestus showered his wife with his best creations. . . the finest furnishings, stunning jewelry, and even a magic girdle (bodice) that would make her irresistible to men (as if she needed any help in that department!) Aphrodite treasured all these gifts, but they did nothing to halt her amorous escapades.

But at some point, Hephaestus could bear her affairs no longer and decided to shame her into putting a stop to them . . . or so he hoped. He fashioned an invisible, unbreakable net made of the finest silver threads. Pretending that he was going to his workshop for the day, he loudly called out his good-byes, and hid in the bushes near the front of the house. Soon he saw her current lover, Ares, the god of war, sneaking into the house. A few minutes later, Hephaestus burst into the bedroom and dropped the net over the lovers.

While they lay trapped, nude and shivering, beneath the net, Hephaestus summoned all the gods and goddesses to come and see what he had caught in his net. It was quite a show, and they all were immensely amused.

Hephaestus insisted the pair be called into court, charged with adultery, and ordered to stop their affair. He literally got “laughed out of court” when Ares pointed out that it was Hephaestus himself who had fashioned the magic girdle that made Aphrodite irresistible - whatever could he have been thinking? After the court fined Hephaestus for bringing such a frivolous suit. Poseidon paid the fines, saying that having the chance to look at Aphrodite in the nude was worth every penny of the cost!