Ancient Greek myth about Prometheus: a brief summary

The most popular of Greek folklore is the myth of Prometheus, a brief summary of which we will convey in our article. This story has a lot of interpretations. Different sources ascribe to the hero various acts - from the creation of mankind to the construction of civilization. 3-4 candidates (according to different sources) claim to be a father, and the same number is called possible mothers. Even the fact of the abduction of fire is described in different ways.

The original source is the ancient Greek classic

The most popular source is "Myths and Legends of Ancient Greece" NA Kun. In this book, the myth of Prometheus, whose summary is being studied by everyone still in school, occupies one of the central places. The myth itself formed the basis of the tragedy of Aeschylus "Chained Prometheus." From the work of the great ancient Greek tragedian, only the second part is preserved. The first and third were lost. In all the sources of the wise and powerful titan, despite some inconsistencies, the main points of life and activity are the same: he stole fire from the gods, gave it to the people, for that he was chained to the rock, and the eagle daily (according to some versions, Every three days) pecked his liver. Actually, this is the essence of the work "The Prometheus Myth", the summary of which is known to most people around the world. And why he stole, as it did, whether there was still the cause of hatred of Zeus for him - this should be discussed in more or less detail.

Absolutely positive hero

It should immediately be noted that Prometheus - the image is uniquely positive. He did not kill anyone by accident or in anger, like Hercules, he did not quarrel with anyone for trophies, like Achilles, and did not spend his life in feasts, intrigues and binge, like the dissolute Zeus and the other gods. In general, reading "Myths and Legends", you often catch yourself thinking that the actions of both gods and heroes are mostly devoid of logic and consistency. Prometheus is a one-piece, heroic, sublime and tragic nature. His image is considered "eternal" in the world of art and literature. The Greek myth about Prometheus combines in this image the traits inherent in God the Father and Jesus Christ - Titan and the creator of mankind, who molded the first people from clay, and the hero who went for the happiness of people to unprecedented torment.

The true god is good and fair

According to one version, in those times immemorial, when there was no ancient Greece, the people who inhabited these lands, it was Prometheus supreme deity. In Hellenic mythology, the role of the creator of mankind was left behind. The myth of Prometheus, whose summary does not imply a detailed description of the process of creating the first people, tells why, according to this version, distant ancestors were so weak and defenseless. The legend tells about what the hero's name means - it translates as a "seer", because he alone knew the future, or as "thinking before." That is simply clever or a genius. The brother who took part in the modeling was called Epimetheus, or "thinking after".

Family ties

The second brother of Prometheus, Atlant, keeps everything and holds the sky. Stupid Epimetheus has done a lot of trouble. The wise Titan wanted to create a man perfect, equal to the gods. For some reason, a severely limited number of skills and abilities were dispensed to this, which Epimetheus spent on faint brains on animals. And according to another version, he even used all the clay for them. As a result, Prometheus created people, pinching a piece of clay from each of the animals. It is very similar to the truth - a person does not possess the strength, grasp, cunning, or instinct of the animal to the full, but the weak features of each animal in human nature are present. Still Epimetheus has entrusted Pandora, who brought to the world of people strife, war and disease.

Gods love sacrifices very much

The first people were weak and defenseless. Nevertheless, somehow they realized that the sacrifice of the gods could be given to the bones, burning them on the altars, and left the best pieces for themselves. The gods were angry. The ancient myth of Prometheus tells us that the wise titan, in order to protect his clay creatures, into which he breathed life, deceived the vindictive and vindictive Zeus, forcing him himself from the two parts of the chopped animal to choose the bones. "Aegis" has remembered and began to take revenge on people purposefully. Hating his cousin, according to one version, his brother and adviser, "the god of gods and people" decided to destroy humanity and create a new one. Once the Titans rebelled against Zeus, and he won them only thanks to the help of Prometheus and his mother Gaea who moved to his side.

The reason for the discord is love for people

Prometheus alone was not afraid of Zeus's anger. He not only defended mankind, but also gave him the fire stolen in heaven. And then the authors do not have the consent. One ancient Greek myth about Prometheus claims that the fire was stolen in the forge of a friend of Hephaestus and carried in a reed, the other that the flame was delivered with the help of a flaming torch lit directly on Olympus (there are versions that this torch is the symbol of the Olympic Games). Of course, this was the courageous act of the theologian, who hates the tyranny of the tyrant and the reveler. But the point is, in fact, not in the struggle with Zeus, it's a matter of sincere love for mankind. Prometheus, descended into the caves, taught people everything. He endowed the beings with the soul, breathed into them the mind and the ability to think. He explained the basics of all sciences and crafts. People began to write, read, understand the stars, know everything about the bowels of the earth, extract minerals and process them. Mankind has received information about medicine and cooking, has learned how to cultivate the land and grow bread. Prometheus also explained to people the essence of lightning as the bearer of a spark, thus providing humanity with fire forever. After all, Zeus without lightning - nowhere, and, therefore, there is where to take the fire.

True underlying reason

The sage taught people to even build ships - the myth of Prometheus testifies to this. It's difficult to say a short story about everything. The process of the transfiguration of mankind was so fascinating that some gods, tired of the constant consumption of nectar, willingly helped Prometheus. The patience of the supreme deity burst, or he just waited for the right moment. The fact is that the future knew only Prometheus, including what awaits Zeus himself, who was dying of fear - which of the hundreds of his sons will overthrow him, as he once was Father Krohn. It should be mentioned that the main god-Olympian had more names - Kronid or Kronion, in honor of his father, and Diy. So, Kronid needed to know to which of the women can not be approached, because the matter was put on stream, and the death was inevitable - a hero capable of overthrowing him was bound to be born. And only the Seer knew the cherished name and did not disclose the secret, despite all the tricks. Under the pretext of stealing the fire, the hero was chained to the rock - he did not say peacefully, he would say under torture.

A Hero for All Seasons

The most widespread myth of Ancient Greece about Prometheus testifies that the titan was chained to the rocks of the Caucasian ridge. Zeus was often angry, but in anger he was insane, it was expressed in the fact that he light-weighted the metal every minute and where he got. One of them landed in the Caucasus Mountains, forming a cornice. To him, and tied, and sophisticated - his chest struck him with a metal point, forged by another Hephaestus. He sighed and lamented, and plunged a wedge. Then, with groans, he retired to the company of soulless Force and Power, which carries out the action. From which side you look, Prometheus is the only hero of all "Myths and Legends", corresponding to this concept in the universal sense of the word. He has one truth, and he follows it, without hesitation, to the end. And he does not have the "truth" that "has its own". This is a higher understanding of good and evil. And it is very good that the true cause of the atrocities of Zeus fades into the background, and there remains the myth about Prometheus, which looks briefly like this - the hero gave people a fire, literally and figuratively, and went for it to mortal torment.

Torture stretching for millennia

No one and never, in any country of the world can compare with the sacrificial and great image of Prometheus. Therefore, he lives in our days, and everyone knows him, and songs about him win at modern competitions ("... give fire, like Prometheus ..."). Although Zeus, threatening him with a penalty, promised complete oblivion of his name by an ungrateful humanity. And it's just strange why this god, with such one-sided fame, who took extremely contradictory decisions in the affairs of peace and war, was worshiped for so long by the Greeks as the supreme deity. The century was chained to Prometheus rock. Periodically Zeus sent to him then his son Hermes, the titan of the Ocean or others, obeyed the despot of envoys, with the only demand, as in that movie - "Name, Brother." But the great martyr did not give up.

Prophets are always doomed

Each time the punishment increased - then Cronion would cast him into the gloomy Tartar with the rock, then he would extract and set up the eagle. So says the myth of Prometheus, the content of which, for the most part, is dedicated to the moment of Prometheus's punishment. Even just by hearsay everyone knows that the eagle regularly came to the chained hero to peck the liver growing during his absence. Centuries Prometheus was crucified on a rock without arrivals of a bird. And then the eagle was very long, according to some sources - for 30 thousand years the unthinkable torture continued. And Zeus, shocked by the steadfastness of the hero, allegedly surrendered. From this moment, the myth of Hercules and Prometheus begins.

He knew everything in advance

His vision was predicted thousands of years before the birth of his beloved son, the Great Power. The poor cow of Io, tormented by a vegetable, flew past a crucified titan, who predicted to her that it was not for a long time, but the curse of the jealous Hera would lose power, and that one of her former girlfriends would become the founder of a genus in which a mighty hero would eventually emerge, Undefeated Hercules. It all happened. Hercules killed a bloodthirsty eagle and cut the fetters of a martyr. In gratitude, Prometheus warned Zeus that he should not approach the Thetis, and in general it is better to marry a mortal, because from God she will have an undefeated hero. So they did, Peleus was appointed to the husband, and Achilles was born with her. To stay on top of the situation anyway, Zeus forced the blacksmith Hephaestus out of the chain of the Prometheus chain to forge the ring and insert into it the part of the rock on which the hero was hanging. And Prometheus had to wear a ring forever without taking off.