Prometheus (Gods and Heroes of the Ancient World)

177 Pages·2006·1.31 MB·English

by  Carol Dougherty

PROMETHEUS
Myths and legends of this rebellious god, who defied Zeus to steal
fire for mankind, thrive in art and literature from ancient Greece to
the present day. Prometheus’ gifts to mortals of the raw materials
of culture and technological advancement, along with the curse of
despair that followed the enlightenment of humankind, have formed
the basis of a poetic and powerful embodiment of the human con-
dition.
Seeking to locate the nature of the compelling tale’s continuing
relevance throughout history, Carol Dougherty traces a history of the
myth from its origins in ancient Greece to its resurgence in the works
of the Romantic age and beyond. A Prometheus emerges who was a
rebel against Zeus’s tyranny to Aeschylus, a defender of political and
artistic integrity to Shelley, and a symbol of technological innovation
during the industrial revolution, his resilience and adaptability
illuminating his power and importance in Western culture.
This book provides a comprehensive introduction to the Prometheus
myth, emphasising the vitality and flexibility of his myth in a variety
of historical, literary, and artistic contexts of the ancient Greeks, the
Romantics, and twentieth-century English poet, Tony Harrison. It is an
essential introduction to the Promethean myth for readers interested
in classics, the arts and literature alike.
Carol Doughertyis Professor of Classical Studies at Wellesley College.

PROMETHEUS
Carol Dougherty
First published 2006
by Routledge
2 Park Square, Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon OX14 4RN
Simultaneously published in the USA and Canada
by Routledge
270 Madison Ave, New York, NY 10016
Routledge is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group
This edition published in the Taylor & Francis e-Library, 2005.
“To purchase your own copy of this or any of Taylor & Francis or Routledge’s
collection of thousands of eBooks please go to www.eBookstore.tandf.co.uk.”
© 2006 Carol Dougherty
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted
or reproduced or utilised in any form or by any electronic,
mechanical, or other means, now known or hereafter invented,
including photocopying and recording, or in any information
storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from
the publishers.
British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library
Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data
Dougherty, Carol.
Prometheus / Carol Dougherty.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 0–415–32405–X (hardback : alk. paper) —
ISBN 0–415–32406–8 (pbk. : alk. paper)
1.Prometheus (Greek deity) I.Title.
BL820 .P68D68 2005
292.2′113—dc22 2005009846
ISBN10: 0–415–32405–X (hbk)
ISBN10: 0–415–32406–8 (pbk)
ISBN13: 987–0–415–32405–2 (hbk)
ISBN13: 987–0–415–32406–9 (pbk)
For my family,
Joel, Nathan, and Megan

CONTENTS
Series foreword xi
Acknowledgements xv
List of illustrations xvii
Genealogical table xix
WHY PROMETHEUS? 1
INTRODUCING PROMETHEUS 3
Who is Prometheus? 4
Classic texts: the wellspring of myths 10
What is myth? 11
Why are myths so important? 13
The myth of Prometheus 15
Promethean themes: fire, rebellion, creativity, and work 18
Prometheus and the human condition 20
Survey of scholarship and overview of the book 21
KEY THEMES 25
1 THE TRICKSTER: HESIOD’S PROMETHEUS 27
Hesiod and his times 28
Hesiod’s Prometheus 30
Prometheus vs Zeus: a battle of wits 31
Prometheus as trickster 33
Prometheus and the human condition 35
Overview 44
VIII CONTENTS
2 THE CULT OF PROMETHEUS AT ATHENS 46
Fire in Greek culture 47
Prometheus in Athenian myth 49
Prometheus in cult 50
Torch race 53
Prometheus, satyrs, and fire 56
Prometheus, fire, and fifth-century Athens 61
Overview 64
3 POLITICAL REBEL AND CULTURAL HERO:
PROMETHEUS IN ATHENIAN LITERATURE 65
Aeschylus’Prometheus Bound 66
From trickster to rebel 71
From hope to prophecy 73
Prometheus and progress 75
Plato’sProtagoras 78
The comic Prometheus 84
Overview 86
PROMETHEUS AFTERWARDS 89
4 THE ROMANTIC PROMETHEUS 91
Goethe’s Prometheus and artistic creativity 92
The political Prometheus 96
Shelley’sPrometheus Unboundand the power of love 100
Prometheus and Napoleon 104
Frankenstein, or the Modern Prometheus 108
Overview 115
5 PROMETHEUS IN THE CONTEMPORARY AGE 116
Prometheus in the arts 117
The most Promethean of the Prometheans: breakthroughs
in science and technology 119
The ambiguous Promethean legacy 123
Tony Harrison’s Prometheus 124
The technological Prometheus 127
Prometheus and the worker: homo faber 131
CONTENTS IX
Fire and poetry 136
Etymologies: what use is Prometheus? 139
Overview 140
Further reading 142
Works cited 147
Index 153