Who was Prometheus?
Prometheus was the second generation of Titan gods and was worshipped as the god of forethought and the creator of mankind. He was viewed as a clever, trickster figure in ancient Greek mythology. His attempts to better the lives of his creation brought him into dangerous, direct conflict with Zeus. He was one of the extraordinary number of gods and goddesses worshipped by the Ancient Greeks. The Titans were the descendents of the first gods or divinities, called the primordial or primeval gods, who were born out of Chaos. The children of the Titans included the famous Olympian gods who included Zeus, Hera, Hestia, Hades and Poseidon and are shown on the Titans Family tree. Prometheus angered Zeus by giving fire to mortals and had him chained on a mountain where he sent an eagle to pick and tear at his liver everyday, whilst every night the wound healed afresh. Hercules eventually released the old Titan from his torture by killing the Caucasian Eagle. The legend and myth about Prometheus, the god of forethought and the creator of mankind, and the Titans has been passed down through the ages and plays an important role in the history of the Ancient World of Greece and the study of the Greek classics. Refer to the following myth stories: Prometheus
Prometheus the Titan
Prometheus the Fire Giver 
Picture of Prometheus Prometheus and his brother Epimetheus - The Creation of Men & Animals
The brothers Prometheus and Epimetheus were given the task of populating the world, and providing their creations with natural gifts. Clever, thoughtful, Prometheus shaped some earth in the image of the gods' image and named his creation Man. Epimetheus, the foolish, thoughtless one, gave little thought to his work when creating the animals and squandered many of the powerful gifts on the animals. He gave powerful teeth and claws to animals such as lions and bears, he gave wings to birds giving them the power of flight, and swift legs to horses. No gifts remained to give to man. However, Prometheus invented a new gift that he gave it to the human race. It was Intelligence and it gave men superiority over the animals. He also gave them the gift of fire, which he stole from Zeus, arming mortals against wild animals. Facts about Prometheus
Prometheus features in the Creation myth of the ancient Greeks which are based on the idea that these supernatural beings resembled mortals but possessed great magical and mystic powers. The following information, facts and profile provides a fast overview of Prometheus: |
