As The Age of Heroes faded
and monsters were cast from the world
Zeus brought the wisest of the Titans
Prometheus and his brother Epimethius a task
They were to create the animals and form man to populate the upcoming age
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Epimethius whose name means 'Afterthought'
was always quick to rush into things. His brother Prometheus or
'Forethought' preferred to consider them first
So when Zeus gave them his edict Prometheus began to think but Epimethius set right to work
He gave Bears massive size and power. He gave Ravens flight and snakes venom.
He gave Lions jaws that bite and claws that rend. He gave Turtles shells to hide in and Deer antlers to gouge
He was so enthusiastic in his giving of gifts that when it came time to fashion Man, he was all out.
There was nothing left to give them and yet man was supposed to be the greatest of them all
So panicked he ran to his brother and asked for help
Prometheus considered and then with all the skill and wisdom endowed to him he bent to the task of crafting man
He began to sculpt them out of clay and as he worked it soon became clear
What gift he chose to give him alone among all the animals?
He would make them walk upright like the gods.
When he was done sculpting them he bent down and breathed into them life.
With this breath he instilled his second gift:
Reason and the ability to think much as he did.
and finally, he would give them one last gift: better protection than any hide or claw.
He flew up to the house of the Sun and stole for mankind fire. Fire from which all art Springs.
Fire which makes further creation possible
But it was not this great transgression alone for which he would be condemned for there was a second act of defiance
which he performed in the service of fledgling man
as mankind said about in their new and plentiful world
It became clear that they should give thanks and sacrifice to the gods or at least it became clear that the gods
Expected it
So prometheus helped them prepare a great ox as a sacrifice to Zeus
but when the animal was carved up
He had them wrapped the best parts in the hide and cover that hide with its disgusting entrails
And then he had them take the bones and cover them in shining glistening fat
He then offered Zeus to pick one of the piles for his offering
Zeus chose the shimmering glistening mount when he went through it though
He was outraged to find it was all bones
but the decision had been made and this is why Greeks only burnt the bones and the fat of animals when making
sacrifices and kept the rest for themselves to feast on
Still Zeus did not yet bind prometheus to the great rock. First, he would avenge himself on mankind.
because you see
Mankind was still just that
Mankind and not yet humankind because there were no women
so Zeus
gathered the gods and had each of them craft some aspect of a new being that he would send to live with mankind and
Each of them labored each adding their own gifts until they brought to life a being named Pandora.
Which means 'the gift for all'
She was the first woman and was wonder to behold. But Zeus was cunning and
kind of a jerk and
For each gift the gods had imbued her with he also found a sorrow and put it in a box.
He then gave her the box telling her never to open it and sent her along to Epimethius' home
Knowing he couldn't resist such a refined being
Now Prometheus had told Epimethius never to accept gifts from Zeus as they were almost
certainly tricks but as always
Epimethius did not think before he acted and upon seeing such beauty and such grace invited Pandora to stay with him
she showed him the box that Zeus had given her and they put it aside and for some time they didn't open it but eventually
Zeus's box was too much of a temptation for Pandora who the gods had endowed with a natural curiosity
So she took out the box just to take a quick peek when she lifted the lid all
manner of Horrors flew out rage jealousy
spite greed sloth
covetous and
Probably people who check their phones in movie theaters
And so she slammed the lid back down, but it was too late. Only one ponderous thing still remained in the bottom
Hope which can be seen as the greatest good the thing that makes all other ills endurable or it can be seen as the
Final most potent mischief of them all as it is what makes mankind continue to endure all the other sufferings
Either way the torrent of wretchedness which plagues humanity to this day
flowed from the family of Prometheus the being who loved them most and
Thus the first part of Zeus's revenge was complete but Prometheus himself was also
Made to suffer and so Zeus called two of his servants force and violence
To cease Prometheus and with chains of adamantine bind him to the top of a mountain in the Caucasus
but it was not for his benevolence towards man alone that Zeus had him thus bound Oh
No. Zeus also had another motive
For it was prophesized that like his father before him and his father before that
Zeus would be undone by his own son the
Problem was Zeus was not exactly what you'd call up Oh
monogamous God
So there was only one being who had the wisdom and the forethought to divine who the mother might be of the son that would
Overthrow him and that was Prometheus
So Zeus sent a messenger Hermes to Prometheus high up on the rock to ask him his secret
But knowing that if he told it the gods would rule over humanity forever and the human race would never get their turn as lords
He said to Hermes go and persuade the sea-waves not to break. You will persuade me. No more easily
Hermes then warned him that yet a greater torture awaited him if he did not relent but in knowing his torment was unjust
prometheus found strength his body was chained, but without his complicity his spirit could never be
so he held to his conviction that helping the mortal race was right and that
Brutality and power and the might of tyranny would never rule him
Though he was damned
his soul was his own and so when Hermes threatened to set upon him a starving Eagle that would
Everyday rip through his flesh and feast upon the sweet black blood of his liver if he did not tell the secret
Prometheus said "There is no force that can compel my speech.
So let Zeus hurl his blazing bolts and with the white wings of snow and with thunder and with earthquakes
Confound the reeling world.
None of this will bend my will."
Hermes
confounded set the Eagle upon Prometheus and left in frustration and
then each day for all time the Eagle would tear his skin to rags and peck out his liver and
Each night the liver would regrow and the flesh would knit itself back together. So the process could begin again
There are many stories though that tell us that Prometheus eventually became free
Hear the tales get muddled and the chronology becomes strange
But some say Hercules found him in his wanderings slew the eagle and with his Herculean strength
Rent apart the chains of adamant that no other being could undo.
Other stories tell of a centaur named Chiron who offered himself as a sacrifice
In Prometheus's place for it was said that only if an immortal were to die for him. Would he be able to be free.
But whatever the story they all agree on one thing:
Prometheus was never vanquished
though in Chains and in torment he remained unconquered and
tyranny was made to bend before he