Divine Bronze of Hephaestus
Mythological · Legendary · Ancient
In the Iliad, Hephaestus makes Achilles' armour by putting bronze, tin, gold and silver in his fire, the metals of mortal smiths, while golden handmaidens with understanding, speech and strength move about to help him. This catalogue imagines the bronze of his forge as a metal of its own, unlike any mortal alloy: mortal blows do not mark it, and it can wound a god.
Identity
- Source
- Greek mythology
- Also known as
- God-forged bronze, Celestial bronze
Physical Properties
- Appearance
- Brilliant molten-gold to deep amber, as if permanently catching firelight; the surface appears wet with inner heat even when cold
- Luster
- Metallic
- Density
- 10.5 g/cm³
- Melting point
- 4200 °C
- Lighter
- Silver
- Denser
- Titansteel
- Magnetism
- Non-magnetic
- Electrical conductivity
- Very High
Mechanical Properties
- Mohs hardness
- 10
- Tensile strength
- 6000 MPa
- Softer
- Mirrorplate
- Harder
- Beskar
- Workability
- Impossible
- Brittleness
- Tough
- Malleability
- Low
- Ductility
- Low
Chemical Properties
- Corrosion resistance
- Absolute
- Reactivity
- None
Lore & Narrative
In this catalogue, mortal craftsmen who handle it are burned without a mark, as if the metal knew them unworthy and refused to be mastered.
- Notable uses
- Divine armour, godly weapons, divine automatons, Olympian architecture
- Forge uses
- divine armor, godly weapons, automatons
- Worldbuilding traits
- Divine, greek, olympian, Legendary
Sources
- Homer, Iliad, Book 18, Perseus Digital Library
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