Prometheus And Earth's First Inhabitants

After the world was created and the gods had fought their wars, the land that lay below Mount Olympus remained unpopulated, even though Gaia, the first goddess, had long yearned to make creatures to inhabit the earth. Finally, Zeus decided it was time.It was a good time to be created. No monsters roamed the earth, and the world was at peace. Zeus began to make creatures to populate this beautiful world. However, just as he was beginning, he was called away to settle a matter dividing his fellow Olympians. He decided to appoint Prometheus and Epimetheus, sons of Titans who had fought with the Olympians, to continue the project of creating earth’s first inhabitants.Although the brothers were Titans by birth, they had sided with the Olympians in the war against Cronus and the other Titans because, blessed with the gift of being able to see the future, Prometheus had foreseen the Olympian victory. Prometheus was the more sensible of the two brothers, and he always planned ahead. Epimetheus, on the other hand, always meant well, but he never planned ahead. Epimetheus never thought about the consequences of his actions until after he had completed them.

Zeus had chosen these brothers for the project of creating the first people and animals on earth because
Prometheus was an excellent potter and sculptor.Prometheus could make just about anything, and he had a
good imagination. Epimetheus was invited to work on the project because he was always eager to help his brother.Because Zeus had only just started to make the various earth creatures, the brothers had a lot of work ahead of them. After using clay to sculpt the new creatures into their basic shapes, Prometheus went to Athena, the goddess of wisdom, for advice on how to complete the work.Epimetheus stayed behind to give the unfinished creations their final distinguishing features.Athena’s advice was simple. She told Prometheus that since the creatures were already composed of earth and water, having been fashioned from clay, the only element lacking for life was air. So, Athena advised Prometheus to hold each of the newly shaped creatures up to the sky. When the wind blew into them, she promised, they would breathe and be truly alive. Meanwhile, Epimetheus continued to work. He enjoyed showing off his creative powers and granted a wide variety of interesting physical attributes to all the different creatures. Epimetheus gave some of them fur and
hair, which would protect them from the elements. He gave others teeth and claws so that they could easily
collect and eat food. In addition, he gave some of the creatures strength and speed.

When Prometheus returned from his talk with Athena, he found that once again, his brother had acted before
thinking. Epimetheus had been so excited about designing the new animals and so generous with his creative powers that he had completely forgotten to save any special gifts for the human beings. By the time the sculptor had gotten around to the humans, he had run out of ideas. They were left weak and defenseless,and they would have remained so forever if Prometheus had not stepped in.Once he realized that his brother had created a species unable to stand on its own in the new world, Prometheus set forth to fix the mistake and make human beings strong and capable of surviving among earth’s other inhabitants.First, Prometheus decided to help the humans stand upright like the gods. He turned their heads upward to the sky. This adjustment gave them the power to reason. Then he raced to the heavens where he lit a torch, using the fire of the sun. He used this fire to light up the new creatures’ powers of thought and speech. These special powers helped set the humans apart from the other animals.At first, the gods approved of Prometheus’s work. They were glad to see that there was a species on earth that had the ability to think and speak. But Prometheus was still not atisfied. He saw that Epimetheus’s poor planning had left the new humans physically weak compared to the other inhabitants of the earth. They were hungry, sad, and scared. Finally, to help the humans, Prometheus left Mount Olympus and went to live on earth with the people, in order to teach them the skills they would need to survive in the new world.

First, Prometheus showed the humans how to build houses so they would not have to live in caves. Then he
taught them how to read, and how to write numbers and letters. He helped the people learn how to tame animals and how to sail on the seas. He showed them how to heal themselves when they were sick. After he had shown the people how to foretell the future and recognize omens by looking at the way birds flew, some of the other gods became impressed by the new people. They decided to help, too. Demeter, the Olympian earth goddess, taught the new race of creatures about edible plants. With this help,the humans had better access to food, and they began to prosper and live happily for the first time.Although some of the gods were excited about the development of the humans, other gods were beginning to worry that the humans were becoming too powerful.However, despite the growing concerns of his fellow gods,Prometheus was so pleased with his creations that he decided to help the humans even more. Until this time,humans were only allowed to slaughter other animals if they were performing a sacrifice to the gods. They ate only the plants that Demeter instructed them to eat.Prometheus could see that the humans would probably need to eat the meat of other animals to survive.So Prometheus came up with a plan. First, he cut up an ox, as if for a sacrifice. Then, he divided the sections into two piles. In one pile, Prometheus wrapped up the bones of the ox and hid them under shiny morsels of fat. This pile looked like the more attractive offering in a sacrifice.For the other pile, Prometheus took the lean meat and other edible parts of the ox and wrapped them in hide, topping the pile with entrails to make the offering look disgusting. Once this was done, Prometheus asked Zeus to choose one of the two piles and keep it as the sacrificial offering; the humans would take whichever pile Zeus rejected. Not knowing that the good meat was actually hidden beneath the hide and entrails, Zeus chose the pile shimmering with fat. Once Zeus had made his choice, he had to stick with it, even after he discovered that he had chosen a pile with no edible meat in it.From then on, people offered the fat and bones of animals to the gods, and they kept the savory parts of the animals for themselves. Zeus was outraged that Prometheus had tricked him, but he decided to save his revenge for later.

This was not the only trick Prometheus played on the Olympian gods for the sake of the humans.Since the new race of creatures had no fur, they were often cold, and even though they were now allowed to eat meat, they had no way to cook it. Human beings did not know about fire or how to control it because, until this point, fire belonged only to the gods. Prometheus decided to change things.He went up to heaven and secretly stole fire from the gods.Hiding the fire inside the stalk of a fennel plant,Prometheus brought it back to the people on earth.Then he taught the people how to cook grains and meat, and how to keep fire burning so that it would always be available. Prometheus also showed the humans how they could use fire to forge metal, just as Hephaestus, the god of fire and the forge, was doing on Mount Olympus.Prometheus did all these things to help the humans because he wanted them to survive in the world now populated by other, more physically powerful creatures.Unfortunately, Prometheus’s efforts angered some of the other gods.The new people were getting too powerful and too smart. Zeus thought they needed to be stopped before they believed their own powers were supreme and they no longer heeded the authority of the gods. Furthermore, Zeus was furious with Prometheus for all his tricks.To punish Prometheus for tricking the king of the gods and for making humans so powerful, Zeus had him captured and chained to a rock on the crest of one of the
Caucasus Mountains.Every day, an enormous eagle came to the spot where Prometheus was tied. The eagle was fierce and relentless, and each day it swooped down and pecked away at Prometheus’s liver, devouring the greater part of it. Because Prometheus was immortal, his liver grew back every night, and he never died. Despite this intense torture, he endured the punishment for thirty years until Hercules came and freed him.
Unfortunately, punishing only Prometheus did not satisfy Zeus’s desire for revenge. The king of the gods had
other plans that would affect the entire human race, and it was a punishment that would last forever.

Zeus The Greek Supreme God

The Greek supreme god of all living and all creation came at a great price. Cronus and Rhea was his parents, Cronus was a titian and Rhea was considered as a Titan too due to her parents which were Gaia and Ouranos. She was known by most as The Mother Of The Gods. She was also Cronus sister as well as spouse. Due to that Cronus had over powered his own father and became king of the Gods he feared that his own children would do the same thing to him as well as that Gaia and Ouranos had told him that his children would rise up against him and take the throne for themselves. So as Rhea had his children he would swallow them. They would not die but just be trapped within his body they would grow inside of him just as they would have in the world. He done this every time just as soon as the children were born. Rhea soon grew tiered of this and her and her parents came up with a plan to save one of the baby’s. This baby was Zeus.

Rhea tricked Cronus into eating a rock that was wrapped up like a baby and he swallowed it while Zeus was taken to Mount Dicte in Crete where he was raised by Cynosura and Adamanthea who was nymphs. He was raised by many gods and other beings, He was suckled by The Goat named Amalthea with milk and honey in later years after Amalthea died Zeus took her skin and turned it into his royal shield known as Aegis to honor her for what she did for him. The small gods known as Kouretes soldiers would dance, clash their swords and shout to keep the cry of the baby from Cronus’s ears. In his later years a shepherd family raised him for while and taught him what they knew. Along with Gaia. In a part of his infancy Cynosura had dangled Zeus on a rope to keep him out of sight from his father due to Cronos being able to see and ruled over the heavens, Earth and the seas. So with Zeus being dangled on a rope he was in between of what Cronos could view.

After protecting Zeus and watching him grow into a nice and strong young man he son became an attendant to Cronus his father. Cronus never expected to be taken down by his servant and never give it another thought.Soon Rhea, Zeus mother and the titan goddess of wisdom Metis made up a potion for Cronus to drink. Soon after he drank it he became very sick to his stomach and soon vomited his children up.After Demeter, Hades, Hera, Hestia, and Poseidon was threw up they were in a complete out rage due to their many years of imprisonment has decided to wage war on the Titans and take over the throne of Cronus. Zeus being so wise he called to his siblings and told them that they would need help from the powerful allies as well as weapons.So they came up with a plan that would change the heavens forever.

The one eyed giants known as The Cyclopes were released from their imprisonment in Tartarus known by many as Hell. They were much grateful for their release and was willing to help them and gave them great gifts that would help in defeating the great Titans.To Zeus they gave him his thunder bolts, the trident was bestowed on Poseidon and last but not least was the helmet that when worn would turn you invisible and that gift was bestowed upon Hades.After they were well armed the battle began against their father. It was not an easy battle for it took over ten years to finish this battle and was very bloody but they soon conquered him as well as the other titans. The three brothers worked together. Hades wearing the helmet slipped up behind Cronus and with the Trident Poseidon immobilized Cronus while Zeus threw a thunderbolt at Cronus knocking him unconscious. Even with the victory of this the reign of the Olympians had just started and it would last forever. All of the Titans were drove defeated into the pits of Tartarus. After many generation of mortal life Cronus and the rest of the Titans were set free. Cronus resided as King of time in the Elysian Islands.

After the battle was over and the titans were placed in imprisonment the three brothers drew lots and divided up the heavens and earth between them. Zeus was made the supreme ruler due to what he draw, Hades was made God of the underworld and the sea and all waters went to Poseidon. But they all agreed to share the ruling of the earth and all of the mortals and creatures that roamed the earth.Zeus having acquiring his new powers and position he soon got above every one and let this go to his head and he had a bad habit of abusing his powers for many a years. He built a palace way above the clouds on Mount Olympus and would punish any one that displeased him or misinformed him by throwing his lighting bolts at them. This happen very often.Soon Zeus grew lonely and wanted a wife so he pursued Metis because she had helped to rescue his siblings. She reclined him and changed her forum and hid from the Great Lord Zeus. He was so desperate to have her that he did not give up til she finally gave in and became his wife.. Metis soon became pregnant and when this happen Gaia became very upset at how Zeus was acting and gave him a prophecy that any son of Zeus and Metis would over throw his father and take control of it. Upon this news he swallowed Metis to keep her from having a son.

Metis was not going to have a son for it was a daughter who would soon become a great goddess as well. The child was born and grew with in the head of Zeus. he soon began to have terrible head aches that would end all head aches. After this went on for so many years the god of the forge Hephaestus created an golden axe for he seen how much misery Zeus was in. After the axe was forged he went to the Lord Zeus and split his head open to relive the pain and when he did this out stepped a beautiful fully grown woman clothed and ready to take her stance on the throne next to her father. She was Apollo goddess of war as well as her father’s most trusted adviser and ally.Zeus still being wild and not ready to settle down after Metis he had his way with many of the goddess and mortals. He would transform himself into many things to seduce them and had many children before he deiced to marry and after he was married to Hera.

He decided that Hera would be his bride but she was not interested in him due to his childishness ways. He was determined to marry her so he turned himself into a cuckoo then created a thunder storm that drenched him. Hera with the kind heart that she had she picked up the little bird and held it close to her heart trying to get it warm. As she did so Zeus changed into himself and told her that he was just as vulnerable as that bird and for her to take pity on him as she did the cuckoo for he was madly in love with her. After this happen Hera soon realized that she too love him and consented to his proposal. She became the Queen of the Heavens. Everyone thought that after marring Hera Zeus would calm down and she did manage to calm him down a bit. All was so jealous of Hera because she was so loved by the Lord God Zeus. Some says that their marriage went great with a 300 year honeymoon but soon died and he started roaming again with other lovers.

Zeus had many wives goddesses as well as mortal lovers and all bore his children Metos who was goddess of wisdom was his first wife and she bore Athena.Themis was his second wife and bore to him Dike, Eirene, Eunomia, Horae, and Fates.Titaness was his third wife and bore to him nine children who became the Muses.Leto was his fourth wife whom he seduced forced her to marry him and she bore to him the twins, Appolo and Artemis.Hera was his final and last wife she was his permanent companion and bore him four children who was Hephaestus, Ares, Hebe and Eileithyae. It has been said that Hera born Hephaestus on her own and he had no father at all. But it is still said that Zeus is his father.Zeus had many children including the most well known Hercules.

In one story of how Zeus got Hera was that he turned himself into an injured bird and Hera felt sorry for the little creature and she picked it up holding it close to her breast to give it warmth and Zeus took advantage of this then raped Hera. Hera married him only to cover up her shame of what happen but she did not love him and was cruel-hearted to him. She had at one time tried to make things work between them but Zeus not being a very faithful husband and sleeping with many lovers she lost all that she may have had for him and started planing her revenge against him and all of his lovers and children that were born from his cheating.

Hera so displeased with the things that Zeus did and they way he was ruling was like a child and her and the other gods was very displeased with this so Hera thought up of a way to get rid of Zeus and over throw him. Hera drugged him and the others took him and tied him to a couch in a rope that was on breakable. There was so many ties that there was no way that he could get free on his own. But he had friends in high places that was still loyal to him, Briareus had over heard the quarreling of the others and decided to sneak in to see what was going on. The gods and goddesses were all not paying any attention to Zeus thinking that he was out of the picture that Briareus was able to untie him farley fast. As soon as he had him untied Zeus sprang from the couch and instantly grabbed his thunder bolt. The Gods and goddesses all fell to their knees begging forgiveness.He dealt with each of them but Hera got the worst punishment of them all. she was hung from the stars in gold chains and heavy anvils on her her ankles. For three nights and days she hang there moaning and groaning not letting Zeus get any peace nor sleep so her told her that he would let her go if she made a promise to him that she would never go against him every again or do any trickery to him. She had no choice but to agree to this so she did and he released her. Even though she never went against him ever again she still out witted him many times as well as to butt into his plans and ruin them.

The plot against him seem to get through some what and he began to shape up as the leader he should have been he was merciful and gave the right punishments for the rightful crime committed. Some times he would not even punish those who wronged him but warned them some times. All went back to normal Zeus became the highest ranking God of all of the Mount Olympus.He was not such of an arrogant ruler any more although his lust was never satisfied and his marriage was never happy for Hera was never pleased over his affairs and what woman would be.

The Revolt of the Giants

                     Led by Athena, the Olympians mount a charge against the Giants

THE REVOLT OF THE GIANTS  The Giants were born to Sky (Uranus) and Mother Earth (Gaea) at a place called Thracian Phlegra ('place of burning') and they numbered twenty-four. Mother Earth was angry because Zeus had confined her children, the Titans, to the deepest pits of Tartarus, after defeating them following a ten-year war. Furious, she directed the Giants to gain revenge by attacking Mount Olympus, with orders to overthrow Zeus and his fellow Olympians. "But Earth, vexed on account of the Titans, brought forth the giants, whom she had by Sky. These were matchless in the bulk of their bodies and invincible in their might; terrible of aspect did they appear, with long locks drooping from their head and chin, and with the scales of dragons for feet." Apollodorus, Library and Epitome (ed. Sir James George Frazer) So what did these terrible creatures look like? Harry Thurston Peck, in Harpers Dictionary of Classical Antiquities (1898), had this to say about their appearance: "In the oldest works of art the Giants are represented in human form and equipped with armor and spears; but in course of time their attributes became terrific -- awful faces, long hanging hair and beard, the skins of wild animals for garments, trunks of trees and clubs for weapons. "In the latest representations, but not before, their bodies end in two scaly snakes instead of feet...In the Gigantomachia of Pergamus (see image below), the grandest representation of the subject in antiquity, we find a great variety of forms; some quite human, others with snakes' feet and powerful wings, others with still bolder combinations of shape; some are naked, some clothed with skins, some fully armed, and others slinging stones." The Giants gathered together and, without warning, began to hurl huge rocks, oak tree trunks and fire-brands upwards from their mountaintops, laying siege to mighty Mount Olympus and startling the unsuspecting Olympians. The 24 Giants threatened to overwhelm the gods with their ferocious attack, piling huge rocks one atop another in an effort to construct a stairway to Heaven. To make matters worse, Hera, wife to Zeus, prophesized that the Giants could never be killed by any Olympian god -- only a single, lion-skinned mortal could perform this Herculean task, she said. But even that would be futile if the Giants got their hands on a sacred herb that grew on earth. This wonderful plant, created by Mother Earth for her children to use, rendered invulnerable anyone who consumed it, and it was up to the Olympian gods to find it before the Giants did. Zeus held a war council with Athena, war-like goddess of wisdom, and the two crafted a plan of action. Athena went off to find Heracles (Hercules), the lion-skinned mortal whom Hera had referred to. Meanwhile, Zeus ordered Helios (the sun god), Selene (the moon goddess) and Eros (god of love) not to shine until his task was complete, using the cover of darkness to evade the army of Giants and safely descend to earth. Zeus then groped around the earth, guided by the feeble light of the stars, until he found the magical herb. It was exactly where Athena had said it would be, and Zeus hurried with it back to Olympus, thrilled to have located it before his enemy did. It was none too soon, for the embattled Olympians were under terrific attack from the Giants, who grew bolder and stronger by the moment, having risen perilously close to Olympus.                                                   Giants laying siege to Mount Olympus, home of the gods Athena had returned with Heracles, the only mortal who could save the gods, according to Hera's prophecy. As usual, he was clad in the skin of the Nemean Lion and carried his famous huge club and dreaded bows and arrows. His arrows had been dipped in the putrid blood of the dying Lernean Hydra, which made them deadly poisonous. The great hero at once let fly an arrow at the charging leader of the Giants, a brute named Alcyoneus (his name literally translates as 'Mighty Ass'). The aim was true -- Heracles was the mightiest mortal warrior of all time -- and the arrow found its mark, dropping Alcyoneus to the ground. But instantly the Giant sprang back up to his feet, uninjured in spite of the poisoned arrow, much to the dismay of the Olympians. The land of Phlegra was the creature's native home and falling to its soil at once revived him. As long as Alcyoneus remained on Phlegra, he was unbeatable. Things looked real bad for the gods! Quick-thinking Athena shouted to Heracles to drag the brute to another country. Swiftly Heracles immobilized Alcyoneus, tossed him over his broad shoulders, and rushed him over the Thracian border. The Giant's breath was so revolting that an ordinary mortal would have been overcome at once, but Heracles used the magical herb that Zeus had brought to plug his nostrils, rendering the ogre's halitosis moot. Once away from Phlegran soil, Heracles had no trouble crushing the creature's skull with a mighty blow from his huge club, and the leader of the Giants lay dead. One down, 23 to go... From the mighty pyramid of rocks constructed by the Giants leaped Porphyrion, second in command and even more hideous than his dead brother. This monster was so frightful, the terrified Olympians scattered in fear, looking for places to hide. Only brave Athena stood her ground, ready to defend her palatial home.   Porphyrion wanted nothing to do with Athena (he was smarter than he looked), rushing by her and lunging at Hera, Queen of the Olympians. The beast tried to strangle her, but a timely arrow from Eros turned his blood-lust to pure lust: Wounded in the liver by the love god's arrow, Porphyrion was gripped by uncontrollable desire. He ripped off Hera's exquisite robe, and that was enough to arouse Zeus' jealous wrath. Seeing his wife about to be molested, the king of the Olympians roared at the Giant, knocking him to the ground with a thunderbolt. The creature sprang up immediately, but Heracles, returning to Phlegra just in time, was there to finish him off with an arrow. While this was happening, the Giant called Ephialtes ('Nightmare', 'He who leaps upon') had gotten the best of Ares, god of war. Ephialtes was the third leader of the Giants and definitely a ferocious force to be reckoned with. It looked as if Ares was doomed but Apollo shot an arrow that pierced the Giant in the left eye. Heracles quickly followed with another arrow, this one striking the creature in the right eye. That was the end of Ephialtes. Talk about a nightmare! The Olympian gods then took turns felling Giants, as Heracles stood nearby and promptly dispatched them one by one with his poisonous arrows. Here's a brief play-by-play of the action: Hecate burned Clytius with her torches, prepping him for Heracles. Dionysus wounded Eurytus with his thyrsus, providing an easy target for Heracles. Hephaestus scalded Mimas ('Mimicry') with a ladle of molten metal. An arrow from Heracles and he was toast. Athena crushed the skull of Pallas with a stone and stripped his skin when he tried to rape her. Heracles finished the job by dealing the death blow with his club. The Fates also took part in the rout, swinging brazen pestles very effectively. The dazed Giants hardly had time to figure out what had hit them, before Heracles finished them off. Only the peace-loving goddesses Hestia and Demeter refused to take part in this mighty battle, standing aside in dismay, horrified by the carnage all around. At stake was the fate of the universe, but they couldn't bring themselves to participate. The demoralized Giants, all their leaders now dead, fled back to earth, beating a hasty retreat, with the Olympians in hot pursuit. Enceladus, a fleet-footed Giant, tried to outrace Athena, but she simply picked up a titanic chunk of earth and threw it at the monster. Enceladus lay flattened underneath the soil, which became the island of Sicily. Not to be outdone, Poseidon, god of the sea, broke off a sizable chunk of the island of Cos with his trident and hurled it at Polybutes. The Giant lay buried underneath this islet of Cos, ever since then called Nisyros. The end of the Giants was near. The remaining retreating offspring of Mother Earth made a last stand at Bathos, near Arcadian Trapezus. The Giant Hippolytus was next to expire, stricken down by Hermes, who had borrowed Hades' helmet of invisibility and had snuck up unseen on the creature. Artemis, goddess of the hunt, cut down Gration in mid stride, piercing him with her silver arrow. Thoas and Agrius were dispatched by the Fates, who were having a merry old time swinging their pestles and watching Giant heads split open. Zeus with his thunderbolts and Ares with his spear took care of all the rest. In all instances, Heracles stood nearby, ready to deposit an arrow in each fallen Giant. The Satyr Silenus, who was always found in the retinue of Dionysus, god of wine, claimed to have killed the Giant Enceladus while fighting at his master's side. He further embellished the story by bragging that it was the braying of his donkey that had initially spread panic among the Giants, scattering them. But nobody believed him, because Silenus was drunk most of the time and probably hallucinated the whole bloody affair... The Giants laying siege to Mount Olympus, home of the godslay dead, their revolt crushed, many of them buried under the earth and transformed into volcanoes; but that only made Mother Earth more upset. Not only were her children, the Titans, imprisoned in Tartarus, but now her beloved Giants had been slaughtered. What's a mother to do? Mother Earth lay with Tartarus and created Typhon, the largest monster ever born. This hideous creature was next to challenge Zeus and the Olympians, and challenge them he did. Good thing Athena was around. But that's another story...