Prometheus

Prometheus, Hero or Villain


  • Total voters
    9

Wotan

Member
Prometheus stole the secret of fire from the gods and gave it to man kind.

Do you consider him a hero for bettering humanity?
Or a Villain for stealing from the gods?
 

Bobby Givens

New Member
I think Prometheus is a hero for daring the wrath of the gods to help mankind. I do not envy him the punishment he received for it though. Having your liver eaten out of your body every day by an eagle does not sound like a very good time.
 

Pegasus

Member
I agree that Prometheus was a hero. Zeus got more than his revenge in both the treatment of Prometheus and the creation of Pandora. Prometheus risked it all for mankind. Wonder if he would be happy with the end result considering we started out as a lump of clay.:)
 
Apparently I have an old account here ^.

The full myth really makes the answer a bit more clear. Prometheus stole fire for man only because Zeus took it from them as a punishment for a joke Prometheus played. Prometheus had the mortals swap Zeus' offering to trick him into accepting a sack of bones and skin wrapped in what looked like good meat. He cheated Zeus out of an offering that he felt was rightfully his (being the King of the Gods).

The offering probably should have been Prometheus', though, as Prometheus made man and Zeus didn't have much to do with man except hucking lightning occasionally and being manager for the Gods who were more hands-on.

So Prometheus did it to atone for a prank that got his creation punished, making him a hero in my eyes because he took responsibility for his mistake.
 

Nadai

Active Member
Zeus was always the villian for me. Where Prometheus incurred the wrath of the gods and made Zeus release Pandora's box on us, at least he had good intentions. He wanted to help and thus made our lives very diffucult, but it was done for good reasons.
 

Pegasis

New Member
Seems like yet another story where there is a lesson about how we are "playing with fire" when we let ego dictate our outlook, actions and decisions. Hard to say if more good or harm comes from what the ego motivates---probably more harm.
 
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