THE MYTH OF PROMETHEUS Adapted from Mythology and You, published in 1994 by the National Textbook Company

The earth was young when Prometheus, the clever Titan, created all the living creatures from a mixture of earth and water. From his imagination, he fashioned birds for the air, fish for the sea and animals for the land. However, from the image of the immortal gods, he fashioned man. Gentle Epimetheus observed his brother’s activity with amazement and envy. He also wanted to have some part in the creative process, so he pleaded with Prometheus do let him do something for each living creature. Because Prometheus loved his gentle brother, he decided to let him distribute the qualities that each of his creatures would need to survive. Epimetheus first gave qualities to help the animals protect themselves from other animals, such as size, speed, teeth, and claws, and then qualities to defend them from their various environments, such as leathery skin or thick fur. After distributing all the gifts, he thought he was finished, but then realized he had forgotten mankind, who was naked and defenseless. He alone, of all Prometheus’s creations, had received no gifts. Prometheus joined his brother, and observed the terrible problem, saying “there isn’t anything left for man, is there?” This was a tremendous disappointment to him, for of all his creations, Prometheus most loved man. Prometheus resolved to do whatever was necessary to ensure man’s survival, regardless of the risk to himself. That night, he stole up to mount Olympus, home of his cousin Zeus and the immortal gods. He knew that the Lord of Olympus would not help him. However, Zeus’s children, strong-armed Hephaestus and grey-eyed Athena, sympathized with him because they too were creators. They risked the wrath of their father’s thunderbolts, and taught Prometheus their knowledge of arts and crafts so that he, in turn, could impart this knowledge to humankind. As a parting gift, Hephaestus gave Prometheus fire, so that mortals could use their new knowledge to the fullest. Prometheus returned to earth and became humankind’s great teacher. He taught them to read and write, to understand their environment, to build houses and sailing ships, and to tame wild animals for food, labor, and protection. He showed them treasures within the earth, such as copper, iron, silver, and gold. And he taught them how to use the gift of fire to use these treasure to improve and beautify their lives. Thus it was that man, frail as he was, became master of this environment. He went too far, however, when he instructed mortals in methods to deceive the gods so that they humans could keep the best fruit of their labors for themselves. When Zeus discovered this deception, he punished man by taking away the gift of fire. But Prometheus was so bold as to steal fire from the gods a second time, and when Zeus looked down from Mount Olympus and saw the fire gleaming among Prometheus’s mortals, he became determined to punish Prometheus and humankind. He began his retribution by commanding his son Hephaestus to imprison Prometheus in torturous conditions.

1 THE MYTH OF PANDORA Adapted from Mythology and You, published in 1994 by the National Textbook Company

While Prometheus, the courageous Titan, was enduring his punishment far to the north in Scythia, Zeus proceeded with his next objective: the punishment of mortal men. Once again, he called upon his son, Hephaestus, the smith. “Hephaestus,“ he commanded, “I want you to create a beautiful woman from the same ingredients that the clever Titan Prometheus used to create his beloved mortals. I want her to be beautiful enough to be a blessing, yet evil enough to be a punishment for humankind.” Strong-armed Hephaestus obeyed his great father’s order, giving the girl the face of a goddess but human voice and strength. Then grey-eyed Athena dressed her in silver clothing and placed an embroidered veil upon her head. Hephaestus crowned her with a golden wreath of intertwined wild animal figures, a marvel which he alone could devise. When they had finished, the children of Zeus led the mortal girl out among the immortal gods. The Olympians gasped in admiration at the beautiful creature the renowned smith had created. The Graces placed golden necklaces around her neck, while the Seasons placed spring flowers among the golden animals of her crown. Then the Lord of Olympus directed golden Aphrodite to give her the qualities of love and desire. Finally, in order to ensure that the woman would be a source of sorrow to man, Olympian Zeus instructed his cunning son, Hermes, to give the girl an inquisitive and deceitful nature. As far-seeing Zeus commanded, all obeyed. Finally, as his gift, the Lord of High Thunder gave Pandora a sealed jar and told Hermes the Wayfinder to accompany her down to earth, where he should present her to gentle Epimetheus from the immortals. Epimetheus could not resist such an appealing gift. Even though his brother Prometheus had warned him never to accept any gift from Mount Olympus because it might prove to be a source of evil, gentle Epimetheus could not believe that anyone as beautiful and as appealing as Pandora could bring anything but delight. Therefore, he immediately married her. Soon thereafter, Pandora became curious about what the sealed jar contained. No sooner had she broken the seal and lifted the lid from the great jar than its contents flew out into the air, scattering everywhere. Olympian Zeus had filled the jar to the brim with evils for man, thousands of sorrows and sicknesses that now hovered, some to attack by day, and others to steal in by night. Only one spirit remained behind in the jar. Hope had become caught under the rim, and it could not fly away before Pandora replaced the lid. Through the contents of the jar, the Lord of High Thunder completed his terrible revenge against Prometheus, thereby warning both gods and mortals not to challenge his authority.

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