| “ | The mortals believe that fire signals the advancement of their race. But Zeus didn't want that. He wanted them to be docile, complacent, and dumb. Easy to manipulate. Thinking for yourself is a crime to the Olympians. Imagine that? | „ |
| ~ Prometheus |
Prometheus, meaning "forethought", is a Titan in Greek mythology, best known as the deity in Greek mythology who was the creator of mankind in the Greek era and its greatest benefactor, who stole fire from Mount Olympus and gave it to mankind.
History[]
Background[]
He was a son of the Titan Iapetus by Clymene, one of the Oceanids. He was brother to Menoetius, Atlas, and Epimetheus. Prometheus, himself a Titan, managed to avoid being in the direct confrontational cosmic battle between Zeus and the other Olympians against Cronus and the other Titans. Prometheus therefore survived the struggle in which the offending Titans were eternally banished by Zeus to the chthonic depths of Tartarus, only to survive to confront Zeus on his own terms in subsequent climactic struggles.
Prometheus was revealed to have been the one who went against Yahweh's orders to await the time his His creations' arrival as he, and the other gods, were impatient to wait. Prometheus was bold enough to take a discreet glance over the walls of Eden and saw the bodies of man and woman, soon to be named Adam and Lilith, to which he then studied and relayed their bodily diagram to the other gods. When they created the bodies of their own humans in the image of the Almighty's human creations, they realized that they did not have the power to give independent life to the body; the bodies could act only when the gods thought of them.
In the aftermath of Hyperborea's destruction with the continent sinking into the ocean, the Hyperboreans who survived diverged across the world and with their link to the Secret Fire severed, they regressed into savage primitives but with enough intelligence to become hunter-gatherers and nomads. But this was viewed as an opportunity for Zeus and the Olympians to make humanity now entirely dependant on the gods, constantly worshipping them and giving them sacrificial offerings. As such, Zeus opted to not have the humans rediscover their "fire" so to speak, hiding it from them as it would mean they would focus less on the gods and instead bring themselves up with their own will and strength. Prometheus was against this as he grew to love humanity and displayed pity at their lowly forms after Hyperborea's destruction. The end result was Prometheus challenging Zeus' rule over humanity.
Unveiling the Fire[]
In the trick at Mekone, a sacrificial meal marking the "settling of accounts" between mortals and immortals, Prometheus played a trick against Zeus. He placed two sacrificial offerings before the Olympian: a selection of beef hidden inside an ox's stomach (nourishment hidden inside a displeasing exterior), and the bull's bones wrapped completely in "glistening fat" (something inedible hidden inside a pleasing exterior). Zeus chose the latter, setting a precedent for future sacrifices. Henceforth, humans would keep that meat for themselves and burn the bones wrapped in fat as an offering to the gods. Angered by this deceit, Zeus searched for the Titan and while he was occupied, Prometheus managed to steal the fire back in a giant fennel-stalk and restored it to humanity. This further enraged Zeus, who sent Pandora, the first woman, to live with humanity.
Prometheus, in eternal punishment, is chained to a rock in the Caucasus, Kazbek Mountain or Mountain of Khvamli, where his liver is eaten daily by an eagle, only to be regenerated by night, due to his immortality. The eagle is a symbol of Zeus himself. However, after the destruction of Olympus during the Gigantomachy, Prometheus was freed of his torment by Heracles but could not rid himself of the chains. Eventually, after going his separate ways with Heracles, he would be met by Lucifer himself, who destroyed the once thought indestructible chains, an act Prometheus was grateful for and swore to repay his debt. Lucifer informed Prometheus to "live out" his life and will call to him when the time comes.