Prométhée

In the Greek Mythology, Prométhée (in Greek old Προμηθεύς / Promêtheús , “the Far-sighted one”) is a Titan, wire of Japet and THEMIS (or Clymène according to the authors), and brother of Atlas, Ménœtios and Épiméthée. He is the father of Deucalion, conceived with Pronoia (or Clymène). According to another minority tradition, Prométhée is born from the union of Héra and its lover, the Géant Eurymédon.

Myth

According to the Théogonie of Hésiode, it is Prométhée which created the men starting from a clay mound and, in spite of the opposition of Zeus, taught the Métallurgie to them and other arts. After the victory of the new gods directed by Zeus over the Titans, Prométhée gave them as the Feu, as it had concealed to them, and entered of this fact in conflict with Zeus. This one, by revenge, made it connect on the mount the Caucasus to have there each day the liver devoured by a eagle.

Héraclès delivered it during its twelve work but not to derogate from the oath of Zeus which had sworn that Titan would remain forever connected in the Caucasus, Prométhée had to carry during all its life a ring of iron coming from its chains, joined with a piece of stone of the Caucasus.

The legend of Prométhée leaves suppose that the old Greeks had discovered that the Foie is one of the rare human organs to regenerate itself spontaneously in the event of lesion.

Prométhée became immortal thanks to the Centaure Chiron: this one, accidentally wounded by the poisoned arrows of Héraclès, not supporting the suffering more but not being able neither to cure nor to die, exchanges its immortality against its mortality, with the authorization of Zeus. This last is, indeed, grateful towards Prométhée to have predicted to him that if he married the néréide Thétis, the son which they would have together, would be more powerful than him and détrônerait it.

Posterity

In Philosophy, the myth of Prométhée is allowed as correspondent with the metaphor of the contribution of knowledge to the men.

It is also taken again by the philosopher Hans Jonas, in the Principle responsibility (1979), to refer to the ill-considered risks related to the consequences of certain human behaviors and certain technical choices, compared to ecological balance , social, and economic of planet.

Some psychoanalysts speak about “Complexe of Prométhée”, a perpetual research of the Connaissance. They also admit that it is about the Oedipus complex of the intellectual life.

One can also find in the myth prométhéen, part of the bases of what will become later, the Christianisme. Thus, Prométhée goes down from the Sky like a god to incarnate themselves charnellement and save Humanity.

Contrary, the freemason establish a link between Lucifer (étymologiquement, the carrier of light) and Prométhée which, brings fire to him to the men. By analogy, the opposition between Prométhée and Zeus are included/understood like the opposition between Lucifer and the Christ. It is about the ancient Luciférisme of the cabins.

According to certain Greek or Latin versions, it was connected on a rock, but according to others, it was crucifié there. And one can also see a parallel between this myth and that of Adam and Eve, driven out Paradis to have tasted the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of the Good and Evil. These myths are also evocative Hybris, human temptation to measure themselves with the gods, or more generally to rise above its condition.

Source

Lucien, Prométhée or the Caucasus .
Eschyle, '' Prométhée connected ''

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