My name is Hephaestus and I am a god, but I’m not very sure about that. Sometimes, it feels like a lie. Many believe that I am truly one of the twelve gods of Olympus. They build temples and altars for me. The most important one is located in the market of Athens, on a hill near the Acropolis. From there, I can see the whole city, the council house, the courts, the temple of Zeus. I see the people down below like ants, in the colonnades, the gymnasiums, the workshops. Some find a little time and climb up the hill. Some leave their offerings for me. “For the god Hephaestus,” they say to the priestesses. I like that. It’s good to know that some believe in you. A god without followers is not right. People say there are two ways to become a god. Either to have godly parents or to try very hard on your own. I have experienced both.