"Prometheus": summary, main events, retelling. The Legend of Prometheus: a summary

2024 Author: Leah Sherlock | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 05:25

About the titan Prometheus - the benefactor and protector of mankind - is mentioned by Hesiod in his "Theogony". What made the titan Prometheus famous? We will begin the summary of the poem with a short review of this work. In it, the hero appears before the readers as a smart cunning, dividing the meat of a sacrificed bull between the gods and people, and making sure that the best part of it goes to people.

Angry Zeus does not want to give fire to mortals so that they can cook and eat meat. Prometheus went against the will of Zeus, stole fire and gave it to people. Enraged Zeus decided to punish the recalcitrant titan, chained him to a post and ordered the eagle to peck his liver. Prometheus will be subjected to this torture for many centuries until the brave Hercules comes and frees him by killing a bird of prey.

Another version of the myth

Later this legend began to be stated differently. The main character of the story is still Prometheus. Its summary is slightly different. Now he appears in the role of a majestic and wise seer (Prometheus means "Provider"), and notthe sly one who stole the fire.

From the very beginning of the world, during the struggle of the old gods with the Olympians (younger gods), Prometheus knew that the younger gods could not be taken by force, you need to use cunning. He offered his help to the titans, but the overconfident older gods rejected his offer. Anticipating their imminent defeat, Prometheus took the side of the Olympians and helped them overthrow their enemies. And instead of gratitude and eternal friendship, he received a cruel punishment of the once former ally of Zeus.

Olympians are haunted by the fear that the time will come - and they will suffer the fate of their fathers. They will be overthrown by their own descendants - the young gods. They don't know how to prevent it, but Prometheus does. The summary of this version tells that he knows everything that awaits them at the end of the world. Zeus wants to learn this secret from Prometheus, and therefore tortures him, but the titan is proudly silent.

Then the son of Zeus Hercules, not yet a god, decides to end the torment of Prometheus in gratitude for the good that the titan has done for mortals. He deals with the eagle and frees Prometheus. In response to this move, Prometheus tells Hercules how to maintain the power of Zeus and his associates.

Zeus and the goddess Thetis

What secret did Prometheus know? The summary of this myth includes the story that Zeus seeks the love of the sea goddess - the enchantress Thetis. But Prometheus knows that Zeus should abandon her, since fate is destined that Thetis should give birth to a son who will be strongermy father. If Zeus becomes his father, then the son will become stronger than him and will inevitably overthrow him, the power of the Olympians will end there.

Zeus listens to Prometheus and leaves Thetis, who later became the wife of an ordinary mortal, from whom she gave birth to Achilles, the most powerful man in the world.

Aeschylus's poem: summary

Based on the above version of the myth and created the poem Aeschylus - "Chained Prometheus". We will begin the summary of the work with events in distant Scythia, located in the wild uninhabited mountains.

Start

What does Aeschylus ("Chained Prometheus") want to tell people in his poem? The summary of the work reveals to readers the nobility and courage of the protagonist against the background of the cruelty of the gods.

So, Prometheus appears on the scene, accompanied by two demons - Violence and Power. By the will of Zeus, he must be chained to a rock by his comrade, the fire god Hephaestus. The latter is sorry for his friend, but he cannot resist the great Zeus and his fate. The shackles bind the shoulders, arms and legs of Prometheus, and the chest is pierced with an iron stake, but Prometheus is silent. The deed is done, the executioners have no choice but to leave the stage. In the end, the Power contemptuously throws the phrase: “You are the Provider, so provide for how you yourself can be saved.”

Further summary (“Prometheus chained”) should be continued with a scene where, left alone with himself, Prometheus turns to the sun and sky, sea and earth, urging them to become witnesseshow the gods treated him unfairly for stealing fire and striving to open the way for people to a decent life.

Prometheus' conversation with the Oceanids and the Ocean

At this moment, the summary of "Prometheus chained" should continue with the appearance of the Oceanid nymphs, the daughters of the titan of the Ocean, disturbed by the clang and roar of the shackles of the long-suffering Prometheus. He tells them that he would prefer languor in Tartarus to this public humiliation, and about his confidence that his suffering will not last forever, and Zeus will be forced to change his anger to affection and humility. The choir of nymphs asks Prometheus why Zeus punishes him so? To which he replies that the reason is mercy to people, “… for he himself is not merciful,” Prometheus says about Zeus.

Then the legend of Prometheus, the summary of which we present, tells about the appearance of the Ocean itself after the daughters. Once he fought with the titans against the lesser gods. But he submitted, humbled himself, received forgiveness and peacefully carries his waves around the world. He says that humility is the only way out, and warns of the vindictiveness of Zeus, who can doom Prometheus to even more unbearable torment. However, the latter scornfully rejects the arguments of the Ocean and invites him to think about himself, because he can anger Zeus with his sympathy for the criminal. The ocean moves away, and the Oceanid choir sings a song of compassion, recalling in it the brother of Prometheus Atlanta, who suffered the torment of forever holding the copper firmament on his shoulders on the western side of the world.

Prometheus' story abouthis help to people

What does the legend of Prometheus tell about next? The summary continues with Prometheus' story to the Oceanians about how much good he did for mortals. People were unreasonable, like children, and Prometheus endowed them with mind and speech. At the time of languishing worries, he reassured them with hopes. It was hard for them to live in the caves, each night coming instilled fear in them, they were powerless before the winter cold - and Prometheus taught them to build houses. He told them about how the seasons change and how the heavenly bodies move at the same time, taught them to write and count, convinced them to pass this knowledge on from generation to generation.

What else did Prometheus do for people? Aeschylus (we are considering a summary of this author's poem) indicates in his work that none other than Prometheus showed mortals deposits of underground ores, taught them to build carts to move around the earth, and ships to surf the sea, showed how to harness bulls to cultivate fertile land. He revealed the secrets of healing herbs to mortals so that they could cure diseases.

People did not understand anything about the prophetic signs that the gods and mother nature sent them, the noble Prometheus taught them divination by the entrails of animals, the cries of birds and sacrificial fire.

Oceanids listened to him and were amazed that, having such knowledge and the gift of prediction, the wise Prometheus could not protect himself from the wrath of Zeus. To which the titan replied that fate was stronger than him and Zeus. Then the nymphs asked him about what fate had in store for Zeus? But Prometheusdid not reveal his great secret to them, but the choir continued to sing their song of sympathy.

Meeting with Queen Io

Summary of Aeschylus' tragedy "Prometheus Chained" should contain these memories of the past, which are then interrupted by the future. The beloved of the god Zeus appears on the stage - the beautiful princess Io, turned by him into a cow. Fearing the wrath of his jealous wife, the goddess Hera, Zeus turned the princess into an animal. But Hera figured out this trick and demanded that her husband give this cow to her. Zeus fulfilled her demand, and then Hera sent a terrible gadfly to the unfortunate. In search of salvation from his incessant bites, Io wandered around the world.

Exhausted and driven to despair by pain to the point of insanity, she climbed the Prometheus Rock. Known for his mercy, Prometheus took pity on the princess and told her about what awaited her. From the mouth of a titan, she learns that her wanderings have no end in sight, she has to overcome cold and heat, wandering around Asia and Europe, seeing monsters and savages before she reaches the Egyptian lands. There she will give birth to a son to Zeus, whose descendant in the twelfth tribe will be Hercules. He will come to this mountain to free Prometheus. Io asks what will happen if Zeus does not allow Hercules to do this, to which Prometheus replies that then Zeus will die himself. The princess wants to know who will dare to destroy the god Zeus, and the titan explains to her that his unreasonable marriage will be the cause of Zeus's death. And then Prometheus refuses to speak. Here for the princessthe evil gadfly attacks again, and she has no choice but to rush away.

Prometheus Visit by Hermes

After the memories and predictions, it's time to return to the present. The herald of Zeus appears - the god Hermes, despised by Prometheus for swindling before the Olympians, and demands the titan to repeat what he said about the fate of Zeus, threatening him with new torments. But Prometheus does not want to speak with Hermes, preferring suffering. He says that he is immortal and witnessed the fall of Uranus and Kron, and he will wait for the fall of the god Zeus. Then Hermes leaves, and Prometheus calls Heaven and Earth to witness his innocent suffering. This is the summary of the book "Prometheus Chained" can be completed.