Prometheus: Titan Benefactor of Humanity in Greek Mythology

Greek Mythology: Prometheus

Trickster. Savior. Traitor. Hero. Prometheus’ myth sees him painted as all of the above, depending on who is telling the story (and where their loyalties lie). Prometheus is a figure still referenced today, even though he was not a god of Mount Olympus. He was a Titan. Though the myths vary—some have him as the creator of man, others just as man’s hero—he is an important figure in Greek mythology and literature. What is featured in each story of Prometheus is that he gave mankind fire after he stole it from the gods of Olympus.

In some versions, man never had fire, and Prometheus bestowed it upon them. In others, they had known fire, but it was taken away by Zeus in retribution, and Prometheus stole it back.

After learning more about Prometheus and his dedication to mortals, you may find you want to add offerings to Prometheus at a fire festival. As you read the myth, think about why Mary Shelley would have referred to Dr. Frankenstein as a “modern Prometheus” or why a sci-fi movie where humans are searching for their origins would be titled Prometheus.

Zeus and the gods of Mount Olympus were not the first gods. The Titans were the original gods, the first children of the primordial beings Uranus (the sky) and Gaia (the earth). The Titans ruled the earth and created man. Some of their offspring were still considered Titans, but mostly did their own thing, such as Prometheus (forethought) and one of his siblings, his brother Epimetheus (afterthought).

Prometheus is the son of Iapetus and Clymene, and his other siblings are Atlas (who holds the world on his shoulders) and Menoetius. Some of the Titans' offspring became the first gods of Mount Olympus and considered themselves Olympians rather than Titans. Zeus led these gods in a war against Cronus and the Titans for control of the cosmos. Zeus and the Olympians won, and the Titans were imprisoned in Tartarus. Some of the Titans' offspring remained separate from the war or fought alongside the Olympians and escaped imprisonment.

Though he was not chained like other Titans, Prometheus was not a resident of Mount Olympus either. Which suited him fine. The gods on Olympus rarely considered the everyday lives of mortals. And his brother, who was foolish and lacked foresight, had cursed mortals to be without gifts. So, while his brother spent time so focused on the past that he could not look forward, and while the Olympians idled their days away drinking and eating, Prometheus took action. He was always looking forward, searching for improvement, and helping the beings his kin had created.

One day, a dispute between the gods and mortals occurred at Mecone. A sacrificial meal was planned by the mortals to settle the dispute and any debts owed to the gods. But Prometheus saw an opportunity. Prometheus told Zeus he would show the mortals how to sacrifice a bull and split the remains into two parts. Zeus would choose which of the two he found most valuable, so the mortals would know what the gods desired in their sacrifices. Zeus agreed, and Prometheus got to work.

Prometheus showed the mortals how to butcher and dress the bull. He then separated the remains into two offerings, per the agreement. One offering had the nourishing and delicious meat and the skin to be made into leathers for protection against the elements. These he wrapped in the odorous intestines and stomach of the bull. For the second offering, Prometheus gathered the gristle and bones of the animal and covered them with the glistening fat from the bull.

Zeus looked upon the offerings and turned his nose up in disgust at the stomach. He saw the fatty tissue and assumed meat lay beneath and chose that offering to bring back to Olympus and his fellow gods. When Prometheus’ trick was discovered, Zeus roared with fury. Future sacrificial offerings would now contain bone and gristle while the mortals kept the best meat and skins for themselves. The mortals loved Prometheus and had made a mockery of Zeus.

So, he decided to punish them.

Zeus decreed that fire be taken from the mortals so that they have no means to cook their food, no source of warmth when the season turned cold, and no light when Apollo’s chariot completed its journey for the day. After Zeus revoked fire from them, Prometheus walked among the mortals and saw their suffering. He was outraged at their plight and their treatment by the Olympians.

One night, he fashioned a hollow vessel out of a fennel stalk and climbed Mount Olympus in secret. He snuck to Hephaestus’ forge, where the fire of the gods was continuously lit for the blacksmith to create their weapons. Prometheus hid a single spark in the fennel and climbed down the mountain in the dark. Back with the mortals, Prometheus returned fire to them. Now that they had the gift of fire and wouldn’t become weak from illness or starvation, Prometheus was able to teach them more. He taught them mathematics, astronomy, architecture, and more. And from that knowledge, great civilizations were born.

When Zeus discovered Prometheus’ treachery, he was enraged. He could not take fire from the mortals again, as their knowledge was too great. Hephaestus made unbreakable chains for Zeus, who used them to bind Prometheus to the mountain. He called upon a great eagle to come and eat Prometheus’ liver each day. At night, Prometheus would heal, his liver growing back fully. The next day, the eagle would return to eat the fresh liver. And so it would be, each day, for all eternity. But he would never regret giving fire back to the mortals, knowing as he did what they would accomplish because of it.

Whether Prometheus sculpted humans from clay or merely birthed civilization and human ingenuity by giving them fire, he has a strong connection to humans and their evolution. He is thought of as a god of fire, cleverness, and mortal culture. How does his story make you rethink fire festivals? Will you choose to honor him this Beltane? If so, how?