Vulcan (mythology) the Capitoline Hill. The Volcanalia sacrifice was offered here to Vulcan, on August 23. Vulcan also had a temple on the Campus Martius, which was in existence by 214 BC. The Romans identified Vulcan with the Greek smith-god Hephaestus. Vulcan became associated like his Greek counterpart with the constructive use of fire in metalworking. A fragment of a Greek pot showing Hephaestus found at the Volcanal has been dated to the 6th century BC, suggesting that the two gods were already associated at this date. However, Vulcan had a stronger association than Hephaestus with fire's destructive capacity, and a major
Hephaestus was based in Lemnos. Hephaestus' symbols are a smith's hammer, anvil, and a pair of tongs. Hephaestus is probably associated with the Linear B (Mycenean Greek) inscription , "A-pa-i-ti-jo", found at Knossos; the inscription indirectly attests his worship at that time because it is believed that it reads the theophoric name "Haphaistios" or "Haphaistion". The name of the god in Greek ("Hēphaistos") has a root which can be observed in names of places of Pre-Greek origin, like Phaistos ("Pa-i-to" in Linear B). Hephaestus is given many epithets. The meaning of each epithet is: Hephaestus had his own palace on Olympus,