Helios symbol greek11/9/2023 Hesiod, in Theogony, introduces Prometheus as a lowly challenger to Zeus's omniscience and omnipotence. He was brother to Menoetius, Atlas, and Epimetheus. In that account, Prometheus was a son of the Titan Iapetus by Clymene or Asia, one of the Oceanids. The first recorded account of the Prometheus myth appeared in the late 8th-century BC Greek epic poet Hesiod's Theogony ( 507–616). Oldest legends Hesiod's Theogony and Works and Days Theogony Prometheus depicted in a sculpture by Nicolas-Sébastien Adam, 1762 ( Louvre) While the theory lost favour in the 20th century that Prometheus descends from the Vedic fire bringer Mātariśvan, it was suggested in the 19th century and is still supported by some. Some other aspects of the story resemble the Sumerian myth of Enki (or Ea in later Babylonian mythology), who was also a bringer of civilization who protected humanity against the other gods, including during the great flood, as well as created man from clay. The oldest record of Prometheus is in Hesiod, but stories of theft of fire by a trickster figure are widespread around the world. Myths and legends Possible sources The Torture of Prometheus, painting by Salvator Rosa (1646–1648) The reference is again to the "fire-drill", a worldwide primitive method of fire making using a vertical and a horizontal piece of wood to produce fire by friction. The suggestion that Prometheus was in origin the human "inventor of the fire-sticks, from which fire is kindled" goes back to Diodorus Siculus in the first century BC. Pramant was the fire-drill, the tool used to create fire. The Vedic myth of fire's theft by Mātariśvan is an analogue to the Greek account. It has also been theorised that it derives from the Proto-Indo-European root that also produces the Vedic pra math, "to steal", hence pramathyu-s, "thief", cognate with "Prometheus", the thief of fire. Kerényi remarks that these names are "not transparent", and may be different readings of the same name, while the name "Prometheus" is descriptive. Hesychius of Alexandria gives Prometheus the variant name of Ithas, and adds "whom others call Ithax", and describes him as the Herald of the Titans. The usual view is that it signifies "forethought", as that of his brother Epimetheus denotes "afterthought". The etymology of the theonym prometheus is debated. In particular, he was regarded in the Romantic era as embodying the lone genius whose efforts to improve human existence could also result in tragedy: Mary Shelley, for instance, gave The Modern Prometheus as the subtitle to her novel Frankenstein (1818). In the Western classical tradition, Prometheus became a figure who represented human striving (particularly the quest for scientific knowledge) and the risk of overreaching or unintended consequences. He was a focus of religious activity mainly at Athens, where he was linked to Athena and Hephaestus, who were the Greek deities of creative skills and technology. Evidence of a cult to Prometheus himself is not widespread. In another myth, Prometheus establishes the form of animal sacrifice practiced in ancient Greek religion. In yet more symbolism, the struggle of Prometheus is located by some at Mount Elbrus or at Mount Kazbek, two volcanic promontories in the Caucasus Mountains beyond which for the ancient Greeks lay the realm of the barbarii. According to several major versions of the myth, most notably that of Hesiod, Prometheus was eventually freed by the hero Heracles. His liver would then grow back overnight, only to be eaten again the next day in an ongoing cycle. Prometheus was bound to a rock, and an eagle-the emblem of Zeus-was sent to eat his liver (in ancient Greece, the liver was thought to be the seat of human emotions). Zeus, king of the Olympian gods, condemned Prometheus to eternal torment for his transgression. The punishment of Prometheus for stealing fire from Olympus and giving it to humans is a subject of both ancient and modern culture. He is sometimes presented as the father of Deucalion, the hero of the flood story. Prometheus is known for his intelligence and for being a champion of mankind, and is also generally seen as the author of the human arts and sciences. In some versions of the myth, he is also credited with the creation of humanity from clay. Prometheus is best known for defying the Olympian gods by stealing fire from them and giving it to humanity in the form of technology, knowledge, and more generally, civilization. In Greek mythology, Prometheus ( / p r ə ˈ m iː θ i ə s/ Ancient Greek: Προμηθεύς,, possibly meaning " forethought") is sometimes referred to as the God of Fire.
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