Sketch the character of Prometheus.
Prometheus was a very wise Titan who helps humanity by
offering them fire. His name ‘Prometheus’ means ‘foresight ‘or ‘forethought’.
He foresaw the winner of the battle between the Olympians and the Titans. He
persuaded his impulsive brother Epimetheus to fight on the side of Zeus. Prometheus
created humans and make them superior to other creatures. He made humans in the
likeness of gods using clay and water.
Prometheus was taught mathematics, navigation,
astronomy architecture, medicine and many other arts. Later, he passed onto man
the useful arts looked with joy. However, he felt bad when man sacrificed best
portions of the animal to the gods, leaving little for the humans. So, he
tricked Zeus into choosing one pile of the animal offerings, giving to Zeus the
useless portions. Being angry, Zeus punished Prometheus taking fire away from Man.
Watching humans shiver in the cold, try to eat their food raw and dying,
Prometheus arranged to steal fire from Olympus and give it to them. Forgetting
all that Prometheus had done for him in the war against the Titans, Zeus got
the three underworld Giants: Gyes, Cottus and Briareus to take Prometheus to
the highest peak of Mount Caucasus. The Giants tied him on a huge rock with
chains.
Zeus sent an enormous eagle to eat at Prometheus’
liver each day. To make matter worse, the liver would grow back overnight and
whole ordeal would be repeated the following day. He had to endure this pain
and torment for years. He did not accept Zeus’ offer for his release and
refused to Submit his threats, torture and tyranny. Admired Prometheus for
sticking to his ideals, Zeus told Prometheus that he could go free if two
conditions were met:
(i)
An immortal would have to give up his life
for Prometheus, and
(ii)
(ii) A mortal would have to slay the
liver-eating eagle
Hearing the plight of Prometheus, wounded but immortal
Chiron volunteered to die in his stead so that his unbearable pain would cease,
at the same time conferring his immortality upon the chained Titan. Zeus’ first
terms was met. One day the world’s greatest hero mighty Hercules saw Prometheus
bound to the rock, with the frightful eagle merrily munching on his liver.
Hercules killed the eagle with the poisoned arrow gifted by the gods. As soon
as the second terms met Prometheus was set free. Finally, he was invited by
Zeus to come and live on Mount Olympus.
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