THE STORY OF PROMETHEUS

Thursday, Sept 17, 2015THEO 226

COSMOGONY & THEOGONY: THE ORIGIN OF ALL THINGS

Chaos, Gaea, Tartarus, Eros Chaos: Darkness & Night

Air, Light & Day Gaea (Earth): Uranus

(Heaven), Mountains, Sea

THE 12 TITANS

CHILDREN OF GAEA

(EARTH) AND

URANUS (HEAVENS)

THE TITANOMACHY:

10-YEAR WAR BTW THE

TITANS AND THE GODS

THE TITANS ARE CONFINED IN TARTARUS

THE GODS TAKE UP

RESIDENCE ON MT.

OLYMPUS

« DEVIOUS & CLEVER » PROMETHEUS

CHILD OF THE TITAN IAPETUS

Hesiod tells the story of Prometheus in his Theogony (507 – 616)

Other stories about Prometheus are found in the works of Homer, Pindar, and Pythagoras.

THE CREATION OF MAN

THE CREATION OF MAN

Ovid, the 1st C. BCE Roman poet, in his work Metamorphoses 1.76-88, describes Prometheus’ role in the creation of man:

« Then man was born… Earth (Gaea), recently formed and separated from the lofty Aether, retained seeds from its kindred Sky (Uranus) and was mixed with rain water by Prometheus, the son of Iapetus, and fashioned by him into the likeness of the gods who control all. »

ZEUS VS. PROMETHEUS

PROMETHEUS ATTEMPTS TO TRICK ZEUS

PROMETHEUS STEALS FIRE FROM THE GODS

ZEUS PUNISHES PROMETHEUS

PROMETHEUS IS RESCUED BY HERCULES

Zeus fell in love with Io, a priestess of Hera, Zeus’ wife.

Prometheus foresaw the birth of the descendants of Io, including the hero Heracles, who would eventually release Prometheus from his daily torture by the eagle.

THE PROMETHEUS MYTH

Explains procedure in the ritual of sacrifice and the origin of fire

Prometheus is the archetype of the culture god or hero ultimately responsible for all arts and sciences The archetype of the divine trickster

NEBUCHADNEZZAR’S DREAM (DANIEL 2)