creation

the hero

Monsters
Herakles
Theseus
Perseus
The Trojan War and Achilles
After Troy
The Foundations of Rome
Krishna
The Arthurian Legend
Sigurd and Beowulf


goddesses

gods

tricksters

afterlife

love

Prometheus and Pandora


Pandora opening the box

The myths of Prometheus and Pandora helped to explain the hardships which beset humanity. The story of Pandora, created after man and the source of many human woes, served to justify to Freeks the inferior position of women in society.

Although Prometheus had not joined the Titans in opposing Zeus, he still resented the defeat of his race and sought to get his own back by fostering men, who had been treated as equals in the days of Kronos but were now regarded as beneath the gods.

Zeus became furious at the way Prometheus protected the new race, and in revenge withheld fire from humans, who were forced to live without heat and light. But Prometheus came to their aid and stole a flame from the forge of the god Hephaistos, hidden in a stalk of fennel.

Zeus then asked the god Hephaistos to fashion the first woman, Pandora, from earth. After Athene and the other goddesses had adorned her with beauty, finery and allure, and Hermes had taught her how to deceive, she was sent with a jar ("Pandora's Box") as a gift for prometheus' brother Epimetheus. He took her into society, whereupon she opened the jar and released its contents: evil and sickness. Only hope remained inside.

Having thus punished humans, Zeus turned on Prometheus, binding him to a rock and sending an eagle to peck at his liver. Every time the bird tore out the organ it grew back and the Titan torture recommenced. Prometheus' agony lasted for thousands of years, until he was freed by Herakles.