Hesiod was very popular in the Ancient world. His texts were very influential to the ancient citizens of Greece
I will be focussing on the ritual part of the myth were Prometheus tries to trick Zeus during the banquet between the Gods and mortals at Mekone. Prometheus is in charge of dividing the great ox up for the Gods and the mortals, but instead of giving the Gods the good meat he tried to give them the bony parts dressed up with shining fat. When Zeus discovers Prometheus attempt to trick him he punishes both men and Prometheus.[1]
Prometheus is shown to be just as smart as Zeus as he is said to have ‘matched himself in wit’. By truing to fool and mock Zeus, Prometheus wants to throw him from power and show that Zeus is not almighty.
His attempts to trick Zeus are described as cunning; ‘cunning art’ and ‘cunning trick’ instead of sly and mischievous. This shows him in a positive light and makes him sound smarter and less troublesome. He is also described as the ‘noble son of Iapetos outwitted him’. Noble presented him as righteous and good and by outwitting Zeus he is shown to be smarter that the almighty God.
Throughout Hesiods Theogony Zeus wisdom, knowledge and intelligence are highlighted. ‘Wisdom everlasting’ is repeated three times, which makes the reader think that trying to trick Zeus is just foolish and dangerous.
The punishment against mortal men is seen to be is cruel and ruthless as men didn’t actually do anything wrong or even ask for any favours from Prometheus. We the readers of course being ‘mortals’ ourselves will sympathise with them as they are being punished due to Zeus’s embarrassment and shame of being tricked. Is Zeus being too harsh? Was Prometheus doing this to try and help men or was he using men as a device to overthrow Zeus?
Prometheus ‘stole the far-seen gleam of unwearying fire in a hollow fennel stalk’ before Zeus could take fire away from the mortals. This brings up the idea that Prometheus knew he and men would be punished and somehow knew the punishment already and was one step ahead of him. Again this shows his courage and foolishness to try and outwit Zeus twice.
In hindsight taking away fire does not seem like a big deal, but when you look deeper into it taking away fore is like taking away mans civilisation. Fire is used for cooking and work and without it mortals would not be able to survive.
Zeus of course is hurt and angry at being tricked and is ‘stung in spirit’. Thus he creates an evil thing for the price of fire.[2]
Without fire men wouldn’t be able to cook, work or live. Now with women on top of that to look after, life would have been made even harder as they have to provide for them as well as themselves. Women are presented as life sucking selfish animals and a burden to men. They are also shown as alien and not an actual human more like a creature as they are formed from the earth.
In Hesiods Works and Days it is shown that the Gods did not wish men t have the luxury of life they had, so they kept it hidden ‘For the gods keep hidden from men the means of life Else you would easily do work enough in a day to supply you for a full year even without working.’ This emphasizes that of they had the same life men would learn not to work and would end up expecting food and comfort handed to them. This way there is a clear difference between the gods and the mortals. The necessity and importance of fire is shown in the line ‘rudder over smoke’. Without fire things would go to waste. Zeus’s anger once again is emphasised in Hesiods works and Days as he felt the need to take away something from man to punish both mortals and Prometheus.
‘He planned sorrow and mischief against men’ the idea that Prometheus just caused men more harm by trying to ‘help’ them is shown in this text as the mortals are being punished for his actions. ‘Sorrow’ against men does not make it sound like an evil or bad punishment, but makes it sound like Zeus wanted men to feel the sorrow he felt when he was deceived by Prometheus.
Prometheus’s want to fool Zeus is shown with the emphasis on the word ‘again’. He wants to show himself as more powerful and intelligent than Zeus and wont stop until he eventually is punished.
In both the Theogony and Works and Days he is described as ‘cunning’. Zeus eventually confronts Prometheus. He knows that Prometheus wants to show himself as almighty and powerful, by showing a downfall to Zeus’s power. Thus Zeus does not let him get away with it’.
Zeus may have initiated the punishment but its Prometheus that is responsible for it. Is it fair that men should be punished for Prometheus’s foolishness? They were just a tool in Prometheus’s plan to weaken Zeus’s perceived almighty power.
The evil punishment of Pandora is given to men. At fist ahe will make men glad at heart but eventually lead them to their own destruction. Women are described as an evil thing. ‘...as the price for fire’ shows that that even though men managed to keep fire to work and cook and live, women will take away their hard work just by existing. The idea of men going out to work and bringing home the food, while the women just sit at home and eat everything is presented. They suck away all the man’s hard work just by being alive.
Again the idea of being creature like is presented ‘mix earth with water’ like in the Theogony.
Pandora is presented as evil as she tricks men wither beauty. On the outside she looks like a ‘sweet, lovely maiden’ with the face of an immortal goddess, but that’s just to trick men into falling for her, so she can eventually destruct them in the end. Thus it would be like man caused his own destruction by letting a woman into his life and trusting her. Both works and days and the Theogony show the importance of Athenian rituals and religion.
No comments:
Post a Comment