by Andrea D. Hutchinson

Created on: September 06, 2008   Last Updated: October 24, 2008

Considered the great benefactor of mankind.Prometheus was known as the Titan God of forethought and counsel. Some sources inform that the children of Titans were also Titans. Other sources will dispute this. Common teachings promote Prometheus as a Titan, with all of the immortal qualities that come with the title.

Prometheus, in some circles, is believed to have been a teacher. He is credited to have taught, mankind, in several areas. Astronomy, medicine, navigation, metalworking, as well as, architecture and writing being the subjects of his tutor.

The progeny of the Titan Iapetus, his father, and either Clymene or Themis was his mother. Prometheus is a brother to Atlas, Epimetheus (same parents) and Menoctius. Now, with the understanding that myth often depicts it's characters as being sibling and spouse, even within the same story, Prometheus had a child. Deuklaion is his son by Clymene.

Myths holds that Zeus gave Prometheus the responsibility to mold mankind out of clay. Some read earth and water, others, mud. His attempts to improve his creation angered Zeus, thus it brought conflict between the two immortals. Having little respect for Zeus, Prometheus often rebelled against the Olympus God.

Two mythological tales are prominent. The first is that of Zeus withholding fire from mankind. He was not happy about Prometheus' attempts at improving and helping mortal men. Prometheus went into heaven and stole the fire and gave it to mortals, hidden in a hollow tube, or in some accounts, a hollow fennel stalk.

The punishment for this betrayal was Pandora. She would enthrall man and unleash sorrow and evil misfortune into their world. Prometheus, foreseeing this, was bound by Zeus. Pandora was then gifted to his brother, Epimetheus. Epimetheus, the god of afterthought, ignored his brother's earlier warnings not to except gifts from Zeus and excepted Pandora as his wife. She opened her jar, and that is another story, altogether.

Another story has Zeus, once again, duped by Prometheus during a sacrificial feast. He tricked Zeus into choosing the worst parts of the sacrificial meat of animal sacrifices. Giving the best parts to mortal men. The punishment for this was eternal torture. Prometheus was chained to a stone on Mount Kaukasos where an eagle, or some accounts state a vulture, tore at his liver, or heart. The bird would eat at the organ by day, and the organ would regenerate overnight. Only to be torn apart again each day for eternity.

Zeus did offer Prometheus a

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