Prometheus

Prometheus: Fire-Bringer, Rebel Titan, and All-Around Top Bloke (Even if He Did Annoy Zeus)

Alright, mythology fans, gather ’round! Here at The Pagan Club, we love a good myth – the bigger, the bolder, the more bonkers, the better. And trust us, when it comes to larger-than-life stories, you can’t get much bigger than the tale of Prometheus.

He’s a figure who pops up again and again in pagan thought and wider culture, and for good reason. He’s a Titan, a trickster, a benefactor of humankind, and a right royal pain in the backside for Zeus. So, let’s dive headfirst into the fascinating, and let’s be honest, slightly tragic, story of Prometheus.

First things first: Who was this Prometheus chap, anyway?

Prometheus wasn’t just any mythical figure. He was a Titan, one of the older generation of gods who ruled before the Olympians, those glamorous gods we hear about all the time – Zeus, Hera, Poseidon and co.

Think of the Titans as the slightly grumpy, old-school deities. Prometheus’s parentage is a bit of a mixed bag depending on which ancient writer you’re reading, but generally he’s considered the son of Iapetus and Themis (or sometimes Clymene or Asia – classic mythology, they’re not always consistent!).

This makes him the brother of some other pretty big names in Greek myth: Atlas (you know, the bloke holding up the sky), Epimetheus (more on him later, and spoiler alert, he’s not as bright as his brother), and Menoetius (who, poor sod, was blasted by Zeus in the Titanomachy).

Now, the name “Prometheus” itself is rather telling. It comes from the Greek words meaning roughly “forethought” or “foresight.” This is crucial because it highlights his defining characteristics: Prometheus was known for his intelligence, his ability to plan ahead, and his reputation for cunning and trickery.

He wasn’t some impulsive muscle-head Titan; he was a thinker, a schemer, a bit of a mastermind, really. This ‘forethought’ is what sets him apart and drives his entire mythological journey.

The Titanomachy and a Bit of Divine Shifting of Alliances

So, the Titans were in charge, happy days, right? Wrong. Enter the Olympians, led by the ambitious and frankly, a bit power-hungry, Zeus. A massive ten-year war broke out – the Titanomachy – between the Titans and the Olympians for control of the cosmos.

Now, where did Prometheus stand in all this? Well, surprisingly (or maybe not, considering his cleverness), Prometheus sided with the Olympians. He saw that the Titans were, shall we say, a bit stuck in their ways and maybe not the best bunch to be running the universe. He used his cunning and wisdom to help Zeus and his siblings overthrow the old guard.

This is pretty important – Prometheus wasn’t inherently a rebel; he was adaptable and could see which way the wind was blowing, so to speak.

Humans Enter the Picture: The Trick at Mecone

After the Olympians won, things settled down a bit, and humans started popping up. Exactly how humans were created is debated (some versions say Prometheus himself fashioned them from clay, breathing life into them!), but regardless, they were on the scene. And this is where things really start to kick off for Prometheus and his relationship with Zeus.

There was a bit of a kerfuffle about sacrifices. The gods wanted their share of the animal sacrifices that humans were making. So, Prometheus was asked (or in some versions, tasked himself) to sort out how these offerings would be divided. And this is where Prometheus’s trickster side really comes to the fore. He organised two piles:

• Pile One: He cleverly arranged all the bones of the ox, covered in glistening, tempting fat. Looked delicious, but was utterly useless to eat.
• Pile Two: He hid all the good, juicy meat and innards inside the ox’s stomach, which looked rather unappealing on the outside.

He presented these two piles to Zeus and invited the King of the Gods to choose which portion he wanted for the gods. Zeus, being a bit arrogant and perhaps not paying enough attention, was taken in by the fatty sheen of Pile One. He chose the bones and fat, leaving the good meat for humankind.

Now, Zeus wasn’t stupid. He quickly realised he’d been had. He flew into a right royal strop! He was furious at being tricked, seeing it as an insult to his divine authority. And what did Zeus do in his divine rage? He decided to punish humanity, and yes, Prometheus too, of course.

The Withholding of Fire: A Chilly Situation

Zeus’s initial punishment was to take fire away from humankind. Imagine that! No cooking, no warmth at night, no light in the darkness – pretty miserable existence, eh? By taking away fire, Zeus left humans shivering in the cold, eating raw food, and generally having a rather rubbish time of it.

Now, Prometheus, being the kind Titan he was (at least towards humans!), felt sorry for these poor, cold, fireless mortals. He saw the potential of humanity, their intelligence and capability, and he couldn’t stand to see them suffer. And this is where the legendary theft of fire comes in.

Stealing the Flame: A Daring Act of Rebellion

Prometheus, in a truly iconic act of defiance and ingenuity, decided to nick fire back from the gods. He didn’t just sneak in and grab a torch. Oh no, Prometheus did it with style. He scampered (or in some versions, journeyed) up to Mount Olympus, the home of the gods.

Then, depending on the tale, he either snuck into Hephaestus’s forge (the god of fire and blacksmithing) or went directly to the sun itself! And here’s the clever bit: he didn’t just carry fire in his hands, which would have been rather inconvenient and burny. He hid the embers of fire inside a hollow fennel stalk. Because of this, mythology sometimes associates them with fire.

Once he had his stolen fire safe and sound in his fennel stalk, Prometheus brought it back down to Earth and gifted it to humanity. Talk about a massive upgrade! Suddenly, humans had warmth, light, the ability to cook, to forge tools, to defend themselves against wild animals – fire was transformative. It was the spark (pun intended!) that allowed civilisation to truly begin to flourish.

The Wrath of Zeus: Chained and Tortured

Zeus, upon discovering this act of blatant disobedience, was absolutely incandescent with rage. He already felt slighted by the trick at Mecone, and now Prometheus had completely undermined his authority by giving back the fire he had explicitly forbidden. Zeus decided that a severe punishment was in order. And we’re talking severe in a proper Olympian god kind of way.

Zeus, with the help of Hephaestus (who, ironically, had his fire stolen, though he acted under Zeus’s orders), had Prometheus chained to a rock in the Caucasus Mountains. But it wasn’t just any old rock. This was a particularly craggy, windswept, and generally unpleasant rock.

And the punishment didn’t stop there. Every single day, an eagle (in some versions, a vulture, but eagle sounds grander, doesn’t it?) – sent by Zeus – would come and devour Prometheus’s liver. Now, here’s the really nasty bit: Prometheus was immortal, a Titan.

So, his liver would regenerate overnight, only for the eagle to come back the next day and start all over again. This was an eternal cycle of torture. Day after day, year after year (likely centuries, even millennia!), Zeus subjected Prometheus to this horrific torment.

Prometheus Bound: A Symbol of Defiance and Suffering

This image of Prometheus chained to a rock, enduring endless torture, has become incredibly powerful and symbolic.

Countless works of art, literature, and philosophy have explored this image. Aeschylus, the ancient Greek playwright, even wrote a trilogy of plays about Prometheus, the most famous being “Prometheus Bound,” which focuses on his defiance and suffering. In these plays and in general understanding, Prometheus becomes a symbol of:

• Rebellion against unjust authority: He stood up to Zeus, the ultimate power figure, for what he believed was right.
• Sacrifice for humanity: He willingly endured immense suffering to benefit humankind.
• Endurance and resilience: Despite unimaginable pain, Prometheus doesn’t break or beg for mercy. He remains defiant.
• Human progress and knowledge: Fire, in this context, represents not just literal fire, but also knowledge, civilisation, and the spark of ingenuity.

Liberation at Last: Hercules to the Rescue

Now, even in Greek myths, eternal torment doesn’t always last forever. Eventually, after countless years of agony, Prometheus was freed. And who was his liberator? None other than Heracles (or Hercules, as the Romans called him), the legendary hero.

In one of his famous Twelve Labours, Heracles encountered Prometheus chained to his rock. Feeling pity for the Titan, and recognising his heroic act of giving fire to humanity, Heracles shot the eagle with his arrows and broke Prometheus’s chains. In some versions, Zeus allows this to happen, perhaps as a way to bring the saga to a close and gain some glory through his son Heracles’s heroic act.

However, even in liberation, there’s a slight catch, a typical mythological loophole. To appease Zeus’s sense of honour (gods are funny like that), Prometheus still had to wear a ring made of iron from his chains, with a piece of the Caucasus rock embedded in it. In some versions of the myth, Prometheus’s knowledge of a prophecy important to Zeus also played a role in his eventual release.

The iron ring with the rock embedded in it symbolised his eternal binding to the rock, even in freedom. And this, some say, is the origin of the custom of wearing rings! A rather dramatic origin story for something we often take for granted.

Prometheus: More Than Just a Myth

So there you have it, the epic tale of Prometheus. He’s a complex and fascinating figure. He’s a Titan, but he sides with the Olympians. He’s a trickster, but he’s also a benefactor. He defies the king of the gods, but he does it out of compassion for humanity. He suffers terribly, but he remains defiant.

Prometheus resonates with us even today because he embodies so many timeless themes: rebellion against tyranny, the struggle for knowledge and progress, the cost of standing up for what you believe in, and the enduring spirit of humanity.

He’s far more than just a character in an old story; he’s a symbol, an archetype, and a reminder that sometimes, the greatest acts of heroism are those done for the benefit of others, even when it comes at a great personal cost.

For us here at The Pagan Club, Prometheus is a figure who sparks contemplation. He reminds us of the power of fire – both literally and metaphorically, as inspiration, knowledge, and the drive to improve our world.

He also challenges us to think about authority, justice, and the courage to stand up for what we believe is right, even when facing seemingly insurmountable odds. He’s a proper legend, and well worth remembering and reflecting upon. What do you reckon? Let us know your thoughts on Prometheus in the comments below!