Prometheus
Publié le 22/02/2012
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(Forethought) Greek One of the
Titans, descended from the Earth Mother (Gaia)
and the Sky Father (Uranus); son of Iapetus and
one of the daughters of Oceanus, possibly Clymene;
brother of Atlas and Epimetheus; father of Deucalion.
Prometheus was a remarkable figure in Greek
mythology. Some stories say that he was the creator of
man. He was certainly the main champion of humankind,
bringing the gift of fire and teaching people how
to use it. He also taught humans astronomy, medicine,
navigation, metalworking, architecture, and writing.
Zeus grew angry with Prometheus for stealing fire
and giving it to people. He had Prometheus chained
to a rock on Mount Caucasus, where an eagle or a
vulture plucked at his liver all day. Prometheus healed
every night, so that his suffering seemed destined to
go on for all eternity. Heracles eventually rescued
Prometheus, and Chiron, the centaur gave his own
immortality to Prometheus.
To revenge himself on humankind, Zeus sent
Pandora into the world and with her all the troubles
and sicknesses of humankind.
Some scholars say that in earlier mythologies
Prometheus remained chained to his rock through all
eternity. But to the fair-minded ancient Greek poets
who recorded the myths, it was unthinkable that
the champion of humankind should be so punished,
hence the story of Heracles, the hero who broke the
bonds of Prometheus, and of Chiron, the gentle centaur
who conferred his immortality on Prometheus
to end his own suffering.
The story of the enmity between Zeus and
Prometheus may represent the antagonism between
an ancient god, Prometheus, and the more modern
Olympian Gods, personified by Zeus.
References to Prometheus are found in most of
the classical poets, such as Hesiod and Aeschylus
(Prometheus Bound). In the 18th century, German
poet and scholar Johann Wolfgang von Goethe saw
Prometheus as a symbol of humanity's creative striving
and rebellion against the restraints of society. The
19th-century English poet Percy Bysshe Shelley, in
Prometheus Unbound, glorified the Titan who dared to
revolt against the gods and triumph over tyranny.
Prometheus, Fire-bringer and Champion of
Humankind Stories say that on one occasion Prometheus,
a Titan, made two bundles out of the
remains of an ox that had been sacrificed. One bundle
contained the meat, the other, the bones. He wrapped
the bones in succulent-looking fat; the meat he
placed inside the stomach sac of the ox.
Asked to choose which package he preferred, the
god Zeus chose the package that looked succulent but
contained nothing but bones. In his anger at being
tricked, although some say that the great god surely
knew he was being tricked, Zeus decided to keep the
knowledge of fire-making from humankind.
Prometheus, undaunted, stole fire from heaven,
or from the forge of the smith-god, Hephaestus, and
took it to Earth hidden in the hollow stalk of the fennel
plant. He then began to teach people all the uses
of fire—how to make tools and fashion metal, how to
build, and how to cook. He also taught people how to
sow and reap, and how to use herbs for healing.
Prometheus, Bound and Unbound Prometheus,
the champion of humankind, had thwarted the
great god Zeus in his attempt to conceal knowledge
of fire from humans. To punish the law-breaker, Zeus
chained Prometheus to a rock on Mount Caucasus,
where an eagle or a vulture plucked at his liver all
through the day. Prometheus healed every night, so
this torture would go on through all eternity.
Eventually, the hero Heracles slew the bird and
unbound Prometheus. The gentle centaur, Chiron, then conferred his own immortality upon Prometheus,
so that he would die but Prometheus would live.
As well as being punished for bringing fire to
men, Zeus held Prometheus captive because he
knew a secret to which Zeus wanted an answer: The
sea nymph Thetis was soon to bear a child that
would be greater than its father. The father could
be either Zeus or Poseidon; the child could cause
chaos among the Olympian Gods. Prometheus
would not reveal his secret as long as he was held
captive.
Prometheus and Pandora Prometheus was a
cause of great anger to Zeus. Prometheus had tricked
Zeus in the matter of sacrifices made by humans and
he had eventually escaped from the terrible torture
inflicted by Zeus as punishment. Zeus decided that
humankind must be punished for having received the
forbidden gift of fire.
Zeus ordered Hephaestus, the smith-god, to make
a woman out of clay. The gods breathed life into her
and made her irresistibly beautiful. She was named
Pandora (All-giving) and sent to Earth, bearing a
sealed vase, of which she was forbidden to know the
contents. In spite of warnings from Prometheus,
Epimetheus, his brother, immediately took Pandora
to be his wife. Then Pandora opened the vase,
sometimes called Pandora's Box, and every disaster
that humans were ever to know was released upon
the world. Only Hope remained in the vase, giving
humankind the will to go on living.
Liens utiles
- Prometheus Unbound Author's Preface Percy Bysshe Shelley The Greek tragic writers, in selecting as their subject any portion of their national history or mythology, employed in their treatment of it a certain arbitrary discretion.
- Menoetius Greek A second-generation Titan; son of Iapetus and Clymene, who was a daughter of Oceanus; brother of Atlas, Prometheus, and Epimetheus.
- Prometheus (Forethought) Greek One of the Titans, descended from the Earth Mother (Gaia) and the Sky Father (Uranus); son of Iapetus and one of the daughters of Oceanus, possibly Clymene; brother of Atlas and Epimetheus; father of Deucalion.
- Epimetheus (Afterthought) Greek Brother of Prometheus, a Titan.
- From Bulfinch's Mythology: Prometheus and Pandora - anthology.