Prometheus and Pandora

Prometheus and the Creation of Man

In the beginning there was Chaos, a shapeless void that housed the seeds of all that was yet to come. Out of this mass of darkness came the goddess of all things, and she separated the heavens from the earth and the waters from the land. Mountains sprang up, trees grew tall and when the air cleared the stars twinkled brightly from above. Mother Earth was now home to many types of fish and animals but the gods knew that something was missing. They decided that a noble being must be created to watch over and tend to all the creatures now thriving upon the earth.

This task was given to the Titan Prometheus and his brother Epimetheus, for the two had remanined loyal to the gods at the time of the great battle and were still held in very high regard. Prometheus began by scooping up a handful of earth and carefully mixing it with some water.

He then began to mold the clay, making sure the mound was shaped in the image of the gods. In order to set his new creation above all other creatures, Prometheus designed him to stand tall and upright. Unlike the beasts of the earth who sauntered along facing downwards, he alone raised his head to the heavens and gazed upon the stars.

Once Prometheus had finished sculpting his new creation, Athene blew the breath of life into him and called him Man. Finally, Epimetheus was given the task of providing all living things with the traits needed for their survival.

Being of a very impulsive nature, Epimetheus (whose name means afterthought) began presenting each animal with attributes of courage, speed and strength. He quickly moved along at a good pace but unfortunately when it came time for man to receive his gift, there was nothing left to give.

Epimetheus immediately turned to his brother for help, as Prometheus (whose name means forethought) was known to be very wise and sensible. Filled with both concern and a great desire to help man, Prometheus snuck into heaven and lit himself a torch using the sacred fire of the sun chariot. He then crept back down to earth, carefully hiding the flames inside a fennel seed. This was a very dangerous act for Prometheus to take part in, for up until that time fire was reserved for the gods alone. He knew that by acquiring the use of fire man would surely be able to set himself above all other creatures.

Zeus, who viewed humans as lowly and inferior beings demanded that they offer freguent sacrifices to both himself and the other Olympians. Knowing that mankind was barely able to feed themselves, Prometheus once again risked his life in order to help his beloved creation.

The Titan cleverly suggested to Zeus that man should only be required to place a portion of the sacrificial beast on the altar, thus keeping the remaining pieces for his own use. Just as expected, Zeus began to argue over which bits would belong to man and which would belong to the gods. Prometheus shrewdly hid the best part of the flesh in an oxhide while neatly wrapping the bones and entrails with some sumptuous fat.

He then turned to the god and bade him to have his pick. Without a moment's hesitation Zeus reached for the most appealing package, only to find it contained nothing but detestible bones and scraps. Much to the dismay of the gods, this decision would allow man to forever keep the most desirable part of the animal for himself.

By coming to the aid of man, Prometheus unwittingly brought the wrath of the gods down upon himself. Bitter and humiliated, Zeus ordered Hephaestus to chain the rebellious Titan to a cliff in the Caucasus Mountains. Each day he would be called on by a vulture who would relentlessly peck out and feed upon his liver.

But this would not be the end of Prometheus' punishment, for the moment night fell upon the earth, the liver would grow back to its normal size thus allowing his torment to continue again at sunrise.

As so often the case, there may have been another reason for Zeus to inflict such an intense act of cruelty upon Prometheus. It came to be known that the Titan had been entrusted with a secret whose contents would prove to be very important to the Lord of Olympus.

For just as it had been for his father and grandfather, fate had declared that Zeus would also be dethroned by one of his sons, causing the fall of the Olympians and ending their rule. Prometheus knew who was destined to be the mother of this child, but refused to break his silence.

Years later Prometheus was finally set free by Heracles but it remains a mystery as to whether or not he ever revealed his secret to Zeus. Prometheus was not the only one made to pay for these transgressions against the gods.

Zeus declared that man too should be condemned for his role in accepting the forbidden gifts. Once again Hephaestus was called upon and instructed to fashion a beautiful and wicked creature who would be successful in bringing about the fall of man.

Pandora

Hephaestus molded the woman into a pleasing shape and when he finished the four winds blew into her the breath of life. One by one the gods approached, each awarding her with a special gift; Aphrodite lavished her with beauty, Hermes blessed her with the art of persuasion, Athena made her dexterous and Apollo gave her an ear for music. When they were all finished, the group named her Pandora which to the Greeks meant "The Gift of All". Pandora was then dressed in fine garments, adorned with flowers and capped with a crown of gold. All stood speechless as she was led through the halls of Olympus, for she was breathtakingly lovely to look upon.

With Hermes as her escort, Pandora was swiftly taken down to earth and offered to Epimetheus as a bride. Epimetheus, instantly captivated by Pandora's beauty, eagerly agreed to wed the young maiden.

Thinking only of his new companion, the impulsive Titan carelessly forget the words of his brother. It seems that Prometheus, who was very suspicious of Zeus and his intentions had repeatedly warned Epimetheus never to accept any gifts from the gods.

The two were soon married and happily started their lives together as man and wife. As it was, Epimetheus had in his possession a mysterious box made of gold, whose contents were left over from the time of man's creation. So vile and hideous were these items that the Titan chose to keep them locked away and hidden out of man's reach.

Pandora, who was full of curiousity yearned to know what her husband kept concealed inside the chest. Fearing the concequences, Epimetheus made his wife promise never to open the box, stating that if she did no good would ever come of it. Time past and finally Pandora could not resist her urges any longer. "What harm could it possibly do?" she thought to herself, "If I quietly lift the lid and have one small peek inside?" She carefully removed the lock and raised the top just enough to see in, but before she could steal a look the chest burst open and out flew a dark swarm of troubles. Pandora tried to slam the lid down but it was too late. Envy, spite, revenge and sorrow filled the room.

But this was only for a moment, for the horde of evils quickly slipped out of the window, free to plague mankind through eternity. Though the world was now filled with sin and wickedness, there was one redeeming gift left hiding inside the box. It was hope, and from that day forward, hope has successfully sustained the existance of man.

Medea's Lair Of Greek Mythology © 1999-2009.