In Greek Mythology Prometheus was the Greek God of fire, forethought and the master architect of mortal beings. Man was meant originally as Zeus’ muse but Prometheus developed a deep love for his creation. He lived amongst men, showed them the details of tenacity and the skills of survival and led them to channels of prosperity. His attachment became so strong that he betrayed Zeus’ trust and infused man with the forbidden Divine Fire. Upon discovering this betrayal Zeus’ enmity knew no depths. Zeus’ first unleashed Pandora’s jar with suffering and disease upon the world he then designed a stylized punishment for the deceitful Prometheus.
Prometheus was cursed by Zeus to have his body torn apart by vultures and his liver devoured every single day that he lived. Each night his body would heal only for the torture to be repeated the next day. Prometheus wasn’t punished for stealing the divine fire but for deceiving Zeus for a second time. A feast was organized with every man and Gods and Prometheus told the humans to give the grease and bones to the Divinities and keep the good part for themselves.
Given that Prometheus was the creator of man, I wonder if Zeus didn’t curse mankind by extension? We applaud the ‘indomitable human spirit’, capable of surviving the greatest odds. No matter the extent of damage, the human spirit always heals and is restored. Why?, because it must be broken again and again. This regenerative element seems to be by mastery, only meant to survive an exhausting and endless cycle of destruction and restoration. Wars, plague, famine, floods, loss and grief. Man suffers yet survives it all. Is that cruelty or an act of kindness? I suppose it depends on which side of the suffering one is on.
