The Prometheus Saga. Who is Prometheus? A Titan who was a fire god, master craftsman and trickster Name means “forethought” Joined Zeus in the war.

The Prometheus Saga

Who is Prometheus?

A Titan who was a fire god, master craftsman and trickster

Name means “forethought”

Joined Zeus in the war against the other Titans.

Became upset at Zeus because he didn’t like humans (whom Prometheus had created out of clay)

The Big Fight

Prometheus tricked Zeus into taking only the bones and fat of sacrificed animals

Outraged at the deceit, Zeus decided that man could have meat but no fire to cook with

Prometheus then stole and hid fire and gave it to mankind

This made Zeus very angry…

Prometheus’ Punishment

Zeus ordered Hephaestus to nail Prometheus to a mountain peak in the Caucasus Mountains

Each day an eagle pecked at his liver

Each night his liver grew back

Prometheus’ torment was to be for all eternity.

The Great Escape

Using his gift of forethought, Prometheus assured Zeus he had nothing to fear from a threatening prophecy

Zeus promised to let Prometheus go at some point…in the future….by means of Herculese.

However, Zeus planned to trick the trickster himself!

The Great Trick

Zeus ordered Hephaestus to sculpt a lovely girl from earth and water

This was the first woman All the gods then contributed other

gifts to her Athena gave beautiful clothes and

taught her to weave on a loom Aphrodite endowed her with beauty

and charm and also the heartbreak and sorrow of love

Lastly, Hermes, at Zeus’ urging, instilled in her the ability to lie persuasively

Thus Hermes filled her with lies, swindles and all sorts of thievish behavior

And her name was…

Pandora

Pandora, in Greek, means “all gifts”

Prometheus warned his brother Epimetheus, or “afterthought”, not to accept this gift from Zeus Epimetheus was not the brightest

crayon in the box… nor was he the sharpest tool in the shed… I’m trying to say he was not a smart god

However Epimetheus was bamboozled by Pandora’s wily charms and they married that summer

Pandora brought with her a very special present as he dowrey…

Pandora’s Jar!

Pandora was Zeus’ revenge for being tricked

Just as Prometheus had given Zeus a gift that was well wrapped but contained trouble, Zeus sent a woman

Just to make sure that there was enough trouble to go around, Zeus also sent along a mysterious jar.

No, its not a box!

curiosity killed the cat Though instructed to never open the jar, Pandora was plagued

by insatiable curiosity Pandora decided that the best thing to do was to open up the

jar and find out what was inside Out flew all the ills that torment mankind: hard work, pain,

dreadful diseases and even death Once the jar was opened, these things could not be put back

in, however one thing failed to escape…