Mnemosyne — Classical Greek Myth Library

Iapetus took to wife neat-ankled Clymene, daughter of Ocean, and she bare him Atlas, Menoetius, clever Prometheus full of various wiles, and scatter-brained Epimetheus. Menoetius was outrageous; far-seeing Zeus struck him with a lurid thunderbolt and sent him down to Erebus because of his mad presumption. Atlas through hard constraint upholds the wide heaven with unwearying head and arms, standing at the borders of the earth before the clear-voiced Hesperides—this lot wise Zeus assigned him. For ready-witted Prometheus, Hesiod first explains the quarrel that made Zeus forever mindful of the trick. When the gods and mortal men had a dispute at Mecone, Prometheus was forward to cut up a great ox and set portions before them, trying to befool the mind of Zeus. Before the rest he set flesh and inner parts thick with fat upon the hide, covering them with an ox paunch; but for Zeus he put the white bones dressed up with cunning art and covered with shining fat. Zeus, whose wisdom is everlasting, rebuked the unfair division. Wily Prometheus smiled softly and invited Zeus to take whichever portion his heart bid. Zeus saw and failed not to perceive the trick, yet in his heart he thought mischief against mortal men which also was to be fulfilled. With both hands he took up the white fat and was angry when he saw the white ox-bones craftily tricked out. Because of this the tribes of men upon earth burn white bones to the deathless gods upon fragrant altars. Zeus who drives the clouds was greatly vexed and would not give the power of unwearying fire to the Melian race of mortal men who live on the earth. But the noble son of Iapetus outwitted him and stole the far-seen gleam of unwearying fire in a hollow fennel stalk. (*Works and Days* frames the same theft as following Zeus’s hiding of the means of life and of fire after Prometheus’s deception, so that men must labour.) Zeus who thunders on high was stung in spirit when he saw among men the far-seen ray of fire. Forthwith he made an evil thing for men as the price of fire: the famous Limping God (Hephaestus) formed of earth the likeness of a shy maiden as Zeus willed; bright-eyed Athene girded and clothed her with silvery raiment and a broidered veil and garlands and a crown of gold wrought by Hephaestus with curious living forms. When this beautiful evil was brought where gods and men were, wonder took hold of them. From her, says the *Theogony*, is the race of women—a great trouble to mortal men, likened to drones in a hive—whether a man marry or avoid marriage. (The fuller naming of Pandora, the gifts of many gods, Epimetheus’s acceptance, and the jar of evils are told in the separate *Works and Days* entry.) So it is not possible to deceive or go beyond the will of Zeus: not even kindly Prometheus escaped his heavy anger. Zeus bound him with inextricable bonds, cruel chains, drove a shaft through his middle, and set on him a long-winged eagle which used to eat his immortal liver; by night the liver grew as much again as the bird devoured by day. That bird Heracles, valiant son of shapely-ankled Alcmene, slew, and delivered the son of Iapetus—not without the will of Olympian Zeus, that the glory of Heracles might be yet greater. Though angry, Zeus ceased from the wrath he had because Prometheus matched himself in wit with the almighty son of Cronos.