PROMETHEUS
And then, “water and earth intermingling,” in the words of the poet,
1
and kneading them, I moulded men, inviting Athena, moreover, to give me a hand in the task. Therein lies the great wrong I have done the gods, and you see what the penalty is for making creatures out of mud and imparting motion to that which was formerly motionless. From that time on, it would seem, the gods are less of gods because on earth a few mortal creatures have come into being! Indeed, Zeus is actually as angry as though the gods were losing caste through the creation of men. Surely he doesn’t’ fear that they will plot an insurrection against him and make war on the gods as the Giants did?
No, Hermes, that you gods have suffered no wrong through me and my works is self-evident; come, show me even one wrong of the smallest sort, and I will hold my tongue and own that I have had the treatment that I deserved at your hahds.
And then, “water and earth intermingling,” in the words of the poet,
1
and kneading them, I moulded men, inviting Athena, moreover, to give me a hand in the task. Therein lies the great wrong I have done the gods, and you see what the penalty is for making creatures out of mud and imparting motion to that which was formerly motionless. From that time on, it would seem, the gods are less of gods because on earth a few mortal creatures have come into being! Indeed, Zeus is actually as angry as though the gods were losing caste through the creation of men. Surely he doesn’t’ fear that they will plot an insurrection against him and make war on the gods as the Giants did?
No, Hermes, that you gods have suffered no wrong through me and my works is self-evident; come, show me even one wrong of the smallest sort, and I will hold my tongue and own that I have had the treatment that I deserved at your hahds.
Prometheus. Lucian of Samosata. Austin Morris Harmon (Translator). United States. Perseus 5.0.
Funding provided by National Endowment for the Humanities.