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Zeus, the son of a titan; if he tricked Zeus it was for his
love of mankind. Prometheus created man, but did not abandon
him to his fate, like so many other gods; rather, he was the
first ever philanthropist. He gave man astronomy, mathematics,
architecture, medicine, metallurgy and navigation, all arts
which Athena had taught him. When the father of the gods,
irritated by one of his clever tricks, punished the mortals
by depriving them of fire, Prometheus, aided by Athena, secretly
entered Olympus and snatched a flame from the very sun and
took it down to earth. By way of revenge, Zeus sent Pandora
to Prometheus, with her box in which she kept all kinds of
evil; but the titan knew how to evade her and Zeus punished
such far-sightedness in the cruellest manner. Chained to a
rock, his liver was be devoured by an eagle, day after day,
in a never-ending torture –since by night the liver
is regenerated. And so Prometheus lived, or rather died alive,
until he was delivered by Hercules from his torment. Possessed
of the gift of prophecy, he was the wisest of his lineage.
Bringer of learning and civilisation, skilled and daring,
perceptive and enlightening: Prometheus. |
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