Prometheus and the theft of fire
In Greek mythology, Prometheus is a Titan. According to different sources, he is the son of Iapetus and either Clymene or Asia.
According to Hesiod (Theogony, 507-510) he was the son of Iapetus and Clymene.
According to Hesiod (Works & Days, 54) and Hyginus (Fabulae, 142) he was the son of Iapetus but no mother is mentioned.
According to Pseudo-Apollodorus (Bibliotheca, 1.2.3) he was the son of Iapetus and Asia.
Prometheus was brother of Atlas, Epimetheus and Menoetius.
Prometheus was a champion of mankind, known for his wily intelligence.
According to Hesiod (Theogony, 507-616) Prometheus tricked Zeus at Mekone (535- 544), Zeus hid the fire buy Prometheus stole it and gave it to the mortals (565-566). This further enraged Zeus, who sent the first woman to live with humanity (Pandora, not explicitly mentioned). The woman, a "shy maiden", was fashioned by Hephaestus out of clay and Athena helped to adorned her properly (571-574). Zeus then punished Prometheus for his crime by having him bound to a rock while a great eagle ate his liver every day only to have it regenerated again the overnight (520-525). Heracles would then free the Titan from his chains and his torments by killing the bird (526-528).
According to Hesiod (Works & Days, 42-105) the first woman, a maiden crafted from earth and water by Hephaestus, is explicitly called Pandora ("all gifts") (82). Zeus in this case gets the help of Athena, Aphrodite, Hermes, the Graces and the Hours (59-76). After Prometheus steals the fire (50), Zeus sends Pandora in retaliation. Despite Prometheus' warning, Epimetheus accepts the "gift" from the gods (89). Pandora carried a jar with her from which were released mischief and sorrow, plague and diseases (94-100). Pandora shuts the lid of the jar too late to contain all the evil plights that escaped but Hope is left trapped in the jar because Zeus forces Pandora to seal it up before Hope can escape (96-99).
According to Aeschylus (Prometheus Unbound) Heracles kills the eagle that had been torturing Prometheus by eating his regenerating liver every day and frees the Titan. Prometheus then forecasts the travels of Hercules as he concludes his twelve labours.
According to Diodorus Siculus (Bibliotheca historica, Book IV 15.2) Prometheus gave the fire to men and Zeus chained him, then sent an eagle to devour his liver. Heracles witness the suffering of the Titan and, considering the benefit he gave to men, And Zeus, when Prometheus had taken fire and given it to men “killed the eagle with an arrow, and then persuading Zeus to cease from his anger”.
According to Hyginus (Fabulae) Prometheus, son of Iapetus, first made men out of clay. Later Jupiter (Zeus) ordered Vulcan (Hephaestus) to make the first woman to whom Minerva (Athena) gave life and the rest of the gods contributed with gifts. Because of that she was named Pandora. She was given to Prometheus’s brother Epimetheus as a wife. The two had a daughter called Pyrrha who was the first mortal to be born (142).
Prometheus gave fire to humans so Jupiter (Zeus) ordered Mercury (Hermes) to bound Prometheus to a rock on Mount Caucasus and sent an eagle to feast on his heart. The eagle ate his heart during the day and the heart would regenerate at night. “Hercules killed the eagle after 30,000 years and freed him” (144).
It was prophesized that the son born from the Nereid Thetis would be more powerful than his father. Prometheus was the only one to know this. When Jupiter (Zeus) was about to sleep with Thetis Prometheus offered his advice if Jupiter freed him from his bondage. Jupiter agreed and Prometheus warned him not to lay with Thetis otherwise “someone greater than him” would overthrow him as Jupiter did with Saturn (Uranus). Thetis was married to Peleus, son of Aeacus, and Hercules (Heracles) “was sent to kill the eagle” that repeatedly feasted on the heart of Prometheus. The eagle was killed and “Prometheus was freed from Mount Caucasus after thirty thousand years” (54).
According to Pseudo-Apollodorus (Bibliotheca, 1.7.1) Prometheus molded men out of water and earth and gave them fire which Zeus hid. When Zeus found out he ordered Hephaestus to chain Prometheus to Mount Caucasus where, every day, an eagle would devour his liver that would regenerate overnight. Hercules freed Prometheus eventually.
According to Pseudo-Apollodorus (Bibliotheca, 2.5.11), while in the process of attempting to complete his eleventh labor (fetch the Golden Apples of the Hesperides), Heracles shot and killed the eagle that tortured Prometheus, hence freeing the Titan from his chains and his torments.