The titan Prometheus - the benefactor and protector of mankind - is mentioned by Hesiod in his Theogony. What is famous for titanium Prometheus? We will begin the summary of the poem with a short review of this work. In it, the hero appears before the readers as an intelligent cunning, dividing the meat of a sacrificed bull between gods and people, and makes it so that the best part goes to people.
Angry Zeus does not want to give mortals fire so that they can cook and taste meat. Prometheus went against the will of Zeus, stole the fire and gave it to people. Enraged, Zeus decided to punish the rebellious titan, chained him to a pillar and ordered the eagle to peck his liver. Prometheus will be subjected to this torture for many centuries until the brave Hercules comes and sets him free by killing a bird of prey.
Another version of the myth
Later this legend began to be stated differently. The protagonist of the story is still Prometheus. Its summary is slightly different. Now he appears in the role of the majestic and wise seer (Prometheus and means "Provider"), and not the sly 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, it was necessary to use a trick. He offered his help to the titans, but the self-confident elder gods rejected his offer. Anticipating their imminent defeat, Prometheus took the side of the Olympians and helped them overthrow the enemies. And instead of gratitude and eternal friendship, he received the cruel punishment of the once former ally of Zeus.
The 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 - young gods. They do not know how to prevent this, but Prometheus knows. A brief summary of this version tells us that he knows everything that awaits them at the end of the world. Zeus wants to learn from Prometheus this secret, and therefore tortures him, but the titan is proudly silent.
Then the son of Zeus Hercules, not yet a god, decides to stop the torment of Prometheus in gratitude about the good that the titan did for mortals. He deals with the eagle and frees Prometheus. In response to this step, 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 lovers of Thetis. But Prometheus knows that Zeus should abandon her, since fate is destined that Thetis should give birth to a son who will be stronger than his 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 person in the world.
Aeschylus Poem: Summary
Based on the above version of the myth, he created the poem Aeschylus - “Chained Prometheus”. We begin the summary of the work with events in the 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 the readers the nobility and courage of the protagonist amid the cruelty of the gods.
So, Prometheus appears on the scene, accompanied by two demons - Violence and Power. By the will of Zeus, he should be chained to a rock by his comrade - the god of fire Hephaestus. The latter is sorry for his friend, but he cannot resist the great Zeus and his fate. Shackles fettered Prometheus’s shoulders, arms and legs, and pierced his chest with an iron stake, but Prometheus was silent. The deed is done, the executioners have no choice but to leave the stage. Finally, the Authorities contemptuously throws the phrase: "You are the Provider, so provide, as you yourself will be saved."
Further, the summary (“Chained Prometheus”) should be continued with a scene where, left alone with himself, Prometheus turns to the sun and sky, sea and land, urging them to witness how the gods unfairly treated him for stealing fire and the desire to open people the path to a decent life.
Conversation of Prometheus with the Oceans and the Ocean
At this point, a brief summary of “Chained Prometheus” should continue with the appearance of the nymphs Oceanides, daughters of the Titan Ocean, alarmed by the clang and roar of the shackles of the long-suffering Prometheus. He tells them that he would prefer the 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 chorus of nymphs asks Prometheus, why does Zeus punish him so? To which he replies that the reason is charity to people, "... for he himself is not merciful," says Prometheus about Zeus.
Then the legend of Prometheus, the summary of which we expose, tells about the appearance of the Ocean after the daughters. He once fought with the titans against the younger gods. But he obeyed, 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 vengeance of Zeus, who can doom Prometheus to even more unbearable torment. However, the latter with contempt 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 leaves, and the choir Okeanid sings a song of compassion, recalling in it the brother of Prometheus Atlanta, who suffered the torment of always holding on his shoulders a copper firmament on the western side of the world.
The story of Prometheus about his help to people
What further is the legend of Prometheus about? The summary continues with the story of Prometheus Okeanides about how much good he did for mortals. People were foolish, like children, and Prometheus gave them intelligence and speech. At the time of yearning for worries, he reassured them with hopes. It was hard for them to live in caves, every night's arrival inspired fear, they were powerless before the winter cold - and Prometheus taught them how to build houses. He told them about how the seasons change and how the celestial bodies move, taught them to write and count, convinced them to transfer this knowledge from generation to generation.
What else did Prometheus do for the people? Aeschylus (a summary of the poem of this author we are considering) indicates in his work that none other than Prometheus showed mortals deposits of underground ores, taught how to build carts to move around the earth, and ships to furrow sea spaces, showed how to harness bulls to cultivate fertile land. He revealed to mortals the secrets of healing herbs so that they can heal diseases.
People did not understand anything about the prophetic signs that the gods and mother nature sent them, the noble Prometheus taught them fortune telling on the insides of animals, the cries of birds and the sacrificial fire.
The oceans heard 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 is stronger than him and Zeus. Then the nymphs asked him what was destined for Zeus? But Prometheus did not begin to reveal his great secret to them, and the choir continued to sing his song of sympathy.
Meeting with Queen Io
A summary of Aeschylus’s tragedy Prometheus Chained should contain these memories of the past, which are then interrupted by the future. On the scene appears the beloved of the god Zeus - the beautiful princess Io, who he turned into a cow. Fearing the anger of his jealous wife, the goddess Hera, Zeus turned the princess into an animal. But Hera unraveled this trick and demanded that her husband give this cow to her. Zeus complied with her demand, and then Hera sent to the unfortunate terrible gadfly. In search of salvation from his incessant bites, Io wandered around the world.
Exhausted and driven to pain by despair on the verge of madness, she climbed onto Promethean rock. Known for his mercy, Prometheus felt sorry for the princess and told her what awaited her. From the lips of a titan, she learns that her wanderings have no end in sight, she has to overcome the cold and heat, wandering around Asia and Europe, to see monsters and savages before she reaches Egyptian lands. There she will give birth to Zeus a son, a descendant in the twelfth tribe of which 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 answers that then Zeus will die himself. The princess wants to know who will decide to destroy the god Zeus, and the titan explains to her that the reason for the death of Zeus will be his unreasonable marriage. And then Prometheus refuses to speak. Then the evil gadfly again attacked the princess, and she had no choice but to rush off.
A visit to Prometheus by Hermes
After memories and predictions, it is time to return to the present. The messenger of Zeus appears - the god Hermes, despised by Prometheus for his slander of 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 Crohn, and will wait for the fall of the god Zeus. Then Hermes leaves, and Prometheus calls heaven and earth to witness his innocent suffering. This concludes the book "Chained Prometheus" can be completed.