Prometheus and Man

Prometheus Prometheus is mainly remembered as the creator/friend of human beings, who has stolen fire from the gods. As a result, he suffered terrible punishment.

Prometheus tortured by the eagle mmm… mmm… good!

On a rock in that mountain, Prometheus was kept bound for many years. And every day an eagle swooped on him and devoured the lobes of his liver, which grew by night as much as the eagle had devoured during the day.

Before becoming the ruler of heaven, Zeus had to defeat his predecessor Cronus and the Titan. In this war, the Titanomachy (the War in which the Titans fought Zeus), Prometheus, although being a Titan, sided with Zeus, who is seen in the picture brandishing the thunderbolt against his enemies.

Creator of Man The Titan Prometheus is usually regarded as one of the greatest friends of mankind, and the savior of all men. For when Zeus attempted to destroy the men of the Bronze Age through The Flood, he gave instructions to his son Deucalion, so that he could survive and mankind could start anew. Some have even asserted that man was molded out of water and earth by Prometheus himself, who gave him the form of the gods and … "... bade him to stand erect and turn his eyes to heaven." [Ovid, Metamorphoses 1.85]

Prometheus watches as Athena gives a soul to the molded man

Epimetheus But others say that he and his brother just distributed abilities among creatures: It has been told that when the time arrived for mortal creatures to be created, the gods, after molding their forms, charged Prometheus and his brother Epimetheus to deal faculties to each creature. To some creatures Epimetheus gave strength, and to others speed; some he armed, so that they could survive. To some he gave wings, so that they could escape, and to others he gave the capacity to live underground. And while he distributed all capacities he took the precaution that no species should be extinguished. Likewise Epimetheus took into consideration the seasons, giving to all creatures the faculty of resisting both cold and heat. In similar manner he furnished each kind of creature with its proper food, so that some should feed on grass, others on fruits, and still others on creatures which they could devour.

Gifts for Man This is how Epimetheus, lacking in wisdom and forethought, distributed all properties suited for survival among animals, leaving unequipped the race of men. Now, when the day arrived for the emergence of all creatures and Prometheus came to examine his brother's work, he noticed that Epimetheus had not devised anything for the preservation of humans. So in order to correct his brother's mistake, Prometheus stole wisdom in arts from Hephaestus and Athena, along with fire, so that men could exercise those crafts, and gave all these gifts to humanity. Accordingly, Prometheus, for correcting mistakes in such a way, was later charged with theft.

More Cleverness It has also been said that Prometheus taught men to sacrifice to the gods in a clever way, casting only a part of the victim into the fire, and keeping the rest for their own food. It is told that Prometheus deceived Zeus with a trickery concerning the part which should be sacrificed to the god and the part which would remain for men. For Prometheus concealed the different parts in a certain way, and having given Zeus the chance to choose among them, the god, without any forethought, chose just the bones for his half. They believe that it was because of this trickery that Zeus decided to hide the fire, and prevent men to use it.

Pandora Probably fearing the consequences of his own cleverness, Prometheus told his brother Epimetheus never to take a gift from Zeus, but Epimetheus, a man with no foresight, accepted Zeus' gift (Pandora), and he only later understood what had happened. For until that time men lived free from ills, toil and sicknesses, but Pandora opened a jar containing all earthly evils, and these flew out, afflicting mankind ever since. Only Hope remained there.

Prometheus, you are glad that you have outwitted me and stolen fire... but I will give men as the price for fire an evil thing in which they may all be glad while they embrace their own destruction." (Zeus to Prometheus. Hesiod, Works and Days 55)

Pyrrha Prometheus fashioned man from clay, and the gods fashioned the first woman, Pandora. This is the reason why Pyrrha, the daughter of Epimetheus and Pandora, is called the first mortal woman ever born.

Others affirm that Pandora was not a curse sent from Zeus, but that Pandora, who was endowed with all kinds of gifts, was given by the gods to men because the gods wished to show all mortals that they could do even better than Prometheus, who had given them fire.

Heracles sets Prometheus free

It is said that Zeus did not release Prometheus from all binding, since he had sworn to that, but for commemoration bade him bind his finger with stone and iron; and that is why, men adopted the custom of wearing rings fashioned of stone and iron, that they may seem to appease Prometheus.