Prometheus

Prometheus standing in glory. (http://centres.exeter.ac.uk/cee/prometheus/Heinrich_fueger_1817_prometheus.jpg)

In ancient Greek mythology you hear tales of great gods, magicians, and even monsters in the Olympian Court, but I'm not going to tell you about those people, I'm going to tell you of a god named Prometheus. Prometheus's story isn't told as often as everybody else's, but he is one of the most important people for mankind.

Unlike every other god in his time, he was a Titan god instead of an Olympian god. The Titans, as they are commonly referred to, were the gods before Zeus and every other god you hear of. The Titans were in power since before mankind existed but they were all killed in a battle between a younger generation of gods called the Olympians and the Titans. All were killed in the Titan Court except for a second generation Titan named Prometheus. Prometheus was spared because he was wiser than the rest of the Titans despite his young age and gave in to the Olympians.

Prometheus ruled happily as an Olympian even though his family was killed. Unlike Zeus the leader of the Olympian Court, Prometheus took a liking to mankind and did much for them. Prometheus gave man many gifts. Some of these gifts were knowledge, skills, premonitions and some physical things. Perhaps some of the greatest gifts were fire, memory, numbers, an alphabet, and the skills to build things and progress to be greater and greater through time. And despite Zeus’s warnings Prometheus kept making man out of natural elements even though Zeus could not wait until mankind faded away.

Prometheus chained to the ancient mountain. (http://www.illusionsgallery.com/Prometheus-L.jpg)

Prometheus did many things to anger the gods like stealing fire, creating man, and tricking the gods. At one point Zeus said it was enough and severely punished Prometheus by chaining him to a mountain and every day a vulture would eat his forever regenerating liver. Prometheus had this punishment because he wanted mankind to survive.

To undo everything Prometheus had done, Zeus gave Prometheus's human brother a present: the first woman, Pandora. Prometheus quickly took this "present" as his bride. Zeus gave the couple a present, a small red box. The couple opened the box and all the evils of the world escaped, like disease. After the box was empty of evil, all that was left was hope that made life a blessing instead of a curse. This was a gift and a curse at the same time. It made mankind be able to survive without Prometheus because Zeus had given mankind women, but it also released much evil on earth. I guess that means that Prometheus showed Zeus to not hate man. And that is why Prometheus is the hero for all mankind.