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Heroes of Humanity in Literature International Journal of Arts and Sciences 3(4): 77 - 87 (2009) CD-ROM. ISSN: 1944-6934 © InternationalJournal.org Heroes of Humanity in Literature Tamar Mebuke, Tbilisi State Technical University, Georgia Abstract: Rebellious spirit of man, rejection of evil, and the imperfection of the world find their archetypal reflection in the image of Prometheus, fighter for the progress of man who dared to oppose God himself. The fire, obtained by him for man, is identified with reason itself. At the same time this image carries the duality of benefactor and criminal, since creation of something new and advanced leads to mutiny against reality itself and rejection of its laws. Nevertheless, through this myth Western civilization has been trying to understand itself in its cultural self-consciousness. Keywords: Prometheus, creators, the tragedy of culture. Myths represent basic, archetypal ideas of man. One of the “basic” thoughts of humanity, characteris- tic of any mythology, is the myth about demarcation of gods and people. It reveals the need for a compromise between arbitrariness of human will and reaction of the outer world. On the other hand, it is connected with the supposition of Johann Wolfgang von Goethe that the only question, standing behind the history of humanity is the question of God existence. Russian philosopher N. A. Berdyaev (1938) wrote: “For nearly half a millennium European Christian humanity has been having a trial with God. In the Christian world scepticism, agnosticism, disbelief, atheism are the symptoms of this process that takes the form of speculation over the problem of theodicy. But if there is a trial, then there must be the one with whom it is. Absolute, ontologically thought-out atheism is impossible. Atheism is a fight against God, resistance to God, anti-theism, the impossibility to be reconciled with theistic theology. ... The phenomenon of atheism indicates either to reduction in spirituality or to its wrong direction. … The existence of evil and sufferings in the world are the only serious objection against the belief in God”. In the West European culture Greek mythology stands nearer than any other to literature and phi- losophy. In the terms of Aristotle, it is mesotes of this system, its middle part, which simultaneously is acrotes, its highest sphere. One of the myths, which shows ambiguous relations between man and God is the myth about Prometheus. Its origin merges with the history of its transfer, interpretation, renovation, self-realization that started with Hesiod and has continued up to our days since through this myth western humanity has been interpreting itself in its cultural self-understanding. It is a myth of European fate and history. (Gadamer H-G., 1991:242-255) The Prometheus myth was first mentioned in Hesiod`s poems “Theogony”(Lamberton R., 1988:96-103, West M.I., 1966, 1978) and “Works and Days” In “Theogony” after the story of the birth of Prometheus and his brothers is given the end of his story, when Prometheus was bound to a rock as punishment by God while an eagle ate his liver every day only to have it grow back to be eaten again the next day until he was freed - “but not against the will of Zeus”, by Heracles. Only then comes the prehistory: how Prometheus distributing a sacrificial meal, marking the “settling of accounts” between mortals and immortals at Sicyon, wanted to deceive Zeus in favour of people. He wrapped the part, containing bones, in “glistening fat” (something inedible hidden inside a pleasing exterior), and the other, bull meat hidden inside an ox`s stomach (nourishment hidden inside a displeasing exterior). Zeus saw the fraud and “evil planned to mortals, as soon it had to happen”. He took fire from man; but again Prometheus deceives Him; having stolen fire, he brought it to people in the hollow of a giant reed stem. International Journal of Arts and Sciences 3(4): 77 - 87 (2009) CD-ROM. ISSN: 1944-6934 © InternationalJournal.org Prometheus was bound to a cliff and left to the mercy of an eagle as the punishment for this fraud, and Zeus prepared for people an attractive evil – a woman Pandora, as revenge for the stolen fire. Hesiod writes: “From her is the race of women and female kind. …Of her is the deadly race and tribe of women who live amongst mortal men to their great trouble, no help meets in hateful poverty, but only in wealth.” Gods help to equip Pandora (“all gifts”)(Beall E.,1989:117-130, Hurwit J., 1995:171-186, Phipp W.E., 1988) The finish'd Maid the Gods Pandora call, Because a Tribute she received from all. Epimetheus accepts her despite Prometheus`s warning. (To take no Present that the God should send, Lest the fair Bribe should Ill to Man protend;) She opens the lid of a large box, and “evils, harsh pain and troublesome disease which give men death” were released. Only Hope was left within her unbreakable house, She remained under the lid of the jar, And did not fly away. Before [she could], Pandora replaced the lid of the jar. This was the will of aegis-bearing Zeus the Cloudgatherer. The new evil - woman becomes a real misfortune for man, since there is no escape from her, because people do not try to get rid of her, on the contrary, she is “a lovely Mischief to the Soul of Man. “…Posterity the sad Effects shall know, When, in Pursuit of Joy, they grasp their Woe”. Pandora leaves her husband Epimetheus the only gift that she hadn`t wasted – Hope as the gift to not foreseeing, to those who aren`t “Prometheuses”. Etymologically the name Prometheus means “forethought”, and Epimetheus “afterthought”. Promethean drama occupies a special position within antique tragedy: it is the only drama about Gods. It acquires dramatic sense because Prometheus bound is in possession of a certain secret. He knows from his mother Gaea that a potential marriage of Zeus would produce a son, who would overthrow him. “Even now the hour is ripening, When this haughty lord of Heaven Shall embrace my knees, beseeching Me to unveil the new-forged counsels That shall hurl him from his throne”. Zeus attempts to get this secret by all means. The drama ends when infuriated Zeus casts the persistent titan into an abyss with his “fire-faced bolt”. The second Promethean drama by Aeschylus had to deal with freeing Prometheus from bounds by Heracles and reconciliation with Zeus since the power and authority of Zeus are eternal. The poet allotted the titan with the sense of justice. In the great fight of gods and titans – Titanomachy, Prometheus took the side of Zeus and helped him by council and service. But when Zeus wanted to obliterate the human race, Prometheus resisted him and for his philanthropy took the punishment from Jove. Prometheus saved people - this was the crime for which he suffered, and if he finally reconciled with Zeus, this reconciliation simultaneously indicates to the reconciliation of Zeus with mankind. But the meaning of the myth becomes evident only if we think of how Prometheus averted the disaster from people and changed the life of humanity. As he says: to the previous state of people, when they foresaw their death, he put an end; International Journal of Arts and Sciences 3(4): 77 - 87 (2009) CD-ROM. ISSN: 1944-6934 © InternationalJournal.org “ I taught weak mortals Not to foresee harm, and forestall the Fates. …………………………. Blind hopes of good I planted In their dark breasts. … Nay more, I gave them fire. … Enjoyed, and of all arts the destined mother”. He also gave them the far-extending capability for “culture” with all its consequences. This means that he granted to people the capability for self-dependence, which is the privilege of gods. But in this case “culture” means crime against gods. Apparently, in the opinion of Aeschylus, culture requires not so much fire, as its spiritual prerequisite -- hope. It is in itself deceptive, as it makes us think about the future (which ends soon). In its essence culture represents a tragic contradiction: it is constant self- deception of each person and nevertheless it possesses the completeness of truth; it is knowledge for all, but not for a single person. Such is the spiritual background of fire technique which human culture bears. Aeschylian Prometheus describes the advantage of the revolution, which occurred in the human life: “ For, soothly, having eyes to see they saw not, And hearing heard not, but like dreamy phantoms, A random life they led from year to year, All blindly floundering on. No craft they knew With woven brick or jointed beam to pile The sunward porch; but in the dark earth burrowed And housed, like tiny ants in sunless caves”. And he taught them all human crafts and arts, such as writing, mathematics, astronomy, navigation, medicine, agriculture, science, mining; in short, all arts of civilization. All cultural arts, however, signify the supremacy of man over the earth, without being able to abolish mortal lot. This tragic contradiction is placed in the centre of human culture, and is reflected in the fate of the benefactor of humanity -- Prometheus. Cultural consciousness always contains criticism of culture. If Prometheus is a reflection of human cultural act in the myth, then every meaningful change in the history of self-consciousness of human culture must cause its new interpretation. In the century of sophistry appears a new, educated type of spirituality, called “education” (Bildung) which treats education as awakening of concealed in each person gifts, that make him capable for state existence. In Plato`s dialogue “Protagoras” we come across a new interpretation of the myth about Prometheus (Plato: /protagoras.html).
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