Prometheus

Prometheus is the son of the titan Iapetus and Oceanida Klimena, the brother of Atlantis, Menetius and Epimetheus, the greatest friend and benefactor of men. When the gods and men met in Mecona, Prometheus slaughtered the bull, and then, wanting to provide a better part for himself and the people, he hid the meat under the ox's skin and covered the bones with white fat. He placed both crowds in front of Zeus and left him to choose; the father of the gods saw through Prometheus' cunning and, as he already thought evil for people in his soul, he took the part with the fat. Since that time, people have sacrificed bones to the gods, and they keep the meat for themselves. Zeus never forgot that deception and because of it he denied people fire. Prometheus helped humanity this time as well: he stole fire, hid it in a reed and brought it to earth. Zeus then devised the greatest evil for humans. By his order, Hephaestus made the first woman out of the earth, Pandora, and then he sent that beautiful evil to the unwise Prometheus' brother Epimetheus. Prometheus was restrained by Zeus with unbreakable shackles and fastened to a huge pillar. Every day an eagle flew in to peck at Prometheus' divine liver, which grew again at night. This voracious bird was killed by Heracles (picture below).

Others say that Hephaestus, by order of Zeus, chained Prometheus with hard chains in a distant Scythian land. There the proud titan, living a life without sleep, exposed to the cold of night and the relentless rays of the sun, suffered for the love of men. Prometheus knew his destiny and everything that would happen in the future. From one person with many names, from the mother of Gaia Temida, Prometheus received the prophecy that neither strength nor strength would free him, but only cunning. He knew that Zeus was hard-hearted and that he did justice to his will, but he was sure that one day, when he lost his throne and power, he would silence his anger and fall into his brotherly embrace. Zeus has all the power, but Iapetus' son knows the future and that is his strength and advantage. When Ija, persecuted by the jealous Hera, reached Prometheus, the chained titan foretold her future and announced that her descendant in the thirteenth generation would be his savior. At the same time, he announced that Crohn's curse would be fulfilled and that Zeus would marry a woman who would give birth to a son stronger than his father. Fearing that he would lose the rule of the world, the father of the gods immediately instructed Hermes to learn the name of that woman from the chained titan. Despite threats that Zeus would throw him into Tartarus with fire and lightning, Prometheus refused to reveal the secret because he knew that his sufferings would last for centuries and that they would end when one of the gods decided to replace him and voluntarily went into dark hell. With lightning, the thunder and the terrible howls of the winds, as the sky and the sea clashed, Prometheus called his mother and the source of all light to see his sufferings. At that moment, the earth split, and the proud titan disappeared into the abyss.

Only endless love for people caused all these Prometheus' sufferings. When Zeus occupied Crohn's throne and distributed honors to the gods, he wished to eradicate the entire human race. Everyone agreed with that decision; only Prometheus invested all his strength to save humanity. He did not allow people to see death in advance, but filled their souls with blind hopes. His other great gift to humanity was fire (picture below). Prometheus also gave people a mind, taught them to build houses, revealed to them the movement of stars, gave them numbers, letters and memory. He taught the people to harness cattle, to tame horses, and to build ships; he taught them how to make medicine, interpret the flight of birds, and all that the earth hides in its womb.

Zeus' threats came true; Prometheus suffered the most terrible torments on the top of the Caucasus for centuries and finally wished for death, which the father of the gods denied him. The time of his salvation has finally come. Ija's descendant Heracles, while passing through the Caucasus on his way to the land of the Hesperides, shot a terrible eagle that tore Prometheus' liver. When the immortal Chiron decided to go to his death voluntarily, Prometheus was freed from torment. In order for that liberation to be in line with Zeus' decision to keep Prometheus tied to a rock for all time, the defiant titan had to wear a wreath and an iron ring with a stone forever in memory of his shackles.

Prometheus resented the gods even before the creation of mortal beings. The gods made of earth and fire all living creatures that move on earth, and then left Epimetheus and Prometheus to endow them with various qualities and abilities. Prometheus left it to his brother to do so. The irrational Epimetheus distributed all the gifts to the animals, and the man was left naked, with nothing. Then Prometheus gave people fire, which he stole from Hephaestus and Athens, and the ability to create works of art. The man could live now, but the noble titan was severely punished for these thefts. Others say that Prometheus created a beautiful first man and hid him from the gods. When Zeus found out about this creature, he wanted to see it. Prometheus agreed to reveal the work of his hands, but he demanded that the gods grant immortality to that first human being. Since then, that wonderful Prometheus man has shone in the sky like the planet Jupiter.

In later legends, Prometheus is not only a friend and benefactor of people but also their creator (picture above). He created man from earth and water, and then gave him fire, which he secretly took from Zeus or from Hephaestus' smithy. Some say Athena helped Prometheus light a fire at the sun spot. Prometheus' man is the only being who has a mind, he is the only one who goes upright and looks at the sky and the stars. Others say that Prometheus is the creator of animals and people. He first created all animals, and when he wanted to make a man, he noticed that he spent almost all the material. So he was forced to give people some of the animal traits.

Apart from Oceanida Klimena or Gaia Temida, Asia or Asopis is also mentioned as Prometheus' mother. Hesion, who gave birth to Prometheus' son Deucalion, is most often mentioned as his wife.

Prometheus enjoyed divine honors in Athens, and was especially revered by potters. In his honor, the feast of Prometheus is celebrated every year; on that day torches were lit on Prometheus' altar, and then runners brought fire into the city.

Prometheus' destiny was treated by Aeschylus in a trilogy, of which the second part is preserved, Chained Prometheus (around 470 AD).

Literature:

• Dragoslav Srejović - Aleksandrina Cermanović-Kuzmanović, Recnik grčke i rimske mitologije, drugo izdanje, Beograd: Srpska književna zadruga, 1987