Flame of Olympus
the immortal fire of the gods
The Flame of Olympus was an absolute power, mightier than the gods themselves and lethal to any who touched it. Within it Pandora's Box was hidden, and only by extinguishing the flame could the King of the Gods be made to fall.
The Flame of Olympus was an absolute power, greater than the gods of Mount Olympus themselves, and despite its alluring glow it was lethal to any who touched it, divine or mortal alike. It was meant from the first to be the lock of Pandora's Box, and within it Hephaestus hid the box that held the evils of the world. So long as the flame burned, Zeus could not die, and only by extinguishing it could the King of the Gods be brought low. (God of War III)
The intended lock#
The Flame of Olympus was meant from the first to serve as the lock of Pandora's Box. To pacify the fire and reach anything sealed within it, a key was required, and that key would have to be sacrificed to the flame. Hephaestus had forged the key out of the very heart of the Flame: his daughter Pandora. To spare her, the smith god lied to Zeus, convincing him that the back of the Titan Cronos would be a safer place for the box than the Flame, and so the box was bound upon the Titan rather than left in the fire. (God of War III)
The box remained upon Cronos until Kratos opened it to gain the power he needed to destroy Ares, the former God of War. Afterward the box was returned to its first intended lock, the Flame of Olympus, where the fire would keep all from touching it, or the box within, unless Pandora herself were used to quell the flames. (God of War (2005); God of War III)
The source of Zeus's strength#
The Flame of Olympus was the source of Zeus's strength, and the King of the Gods could not die so long as it burned. After Gaia betrayed Kratos and let him fall into the depths of the Underworld, the ghost of Athena returned to aid the de-powered Spartan, gifting him the Blades of Exile and guiding him toward the one thing that could fell a god. She told him that the Flame was the only way to defeat any god, the King of Olympus included, and that to extinguish it he must venture back up the mountain. (God of War III)
Helios tried to turn the Flame's lethal nature against Kratos, claiming that he would receive its power if he stepped into the fire. But Kratos, already warned by Hephaestus of the flame's deadly touch, saw through the Sun God's lie at once. (God of War III)
The extinguishing#
When Kratos reached the Chamber of the Flame, he discovered Pandora's Box at the fire's heart, the same box he had once used to slay Ares. Athena explained that the true power to kill a god rested within, but that to reach it he must first seek out Pandora, the key born of the Flame, who alone could pacify the fire. (God of War III)
Kratos rescued Pandora from the Labyrinth and, working a great mechanism, raised it through the caverns beneath the mountain so that he might bring her to the Flame, while the foundations of Mount Olympus crumbled around them. In the struggle that followed, Pandora moved to enter the Flame herself, but Kratos seized her and tried to pull her back, with Zeus urging him to save the girl. The King of the Gods soon turned his words to taunts of Kratos's failures, and in his rage the Spartan released Pandora into the fire to strike at Zeus. Her sacrifice extinguished the Flame of Olympus and granted Kratos the box at last, though when he opened it he found it empty. (God of War III)
Frequently asked questions
- What was the Flame of Olympus?
- The Flame of Olympus was an absolute power, greater than the gods of Mount Olympus themselves, and lethal to any who touched it, divine or mortal alike. It was meant from the first to serve as the lock of Pandora's Box, and so long as it burned Zeus could not die.
- Why was Pandora's Box not originally kept in the Flame of Olympus?
- Hephaestus had forged the key to the Flame out of its very heart, his daughter Pandora, and reaching the box would have required sacrificing her to the fire. To spare her, the smith god lied to Zeus, convincing him that the back of the Titan Cronos was a safer place for the box, so it was bound upon the Titan instead.
- Why did Kratos need the Flame of Olympus to kill Zeus?
- The Flame of Olympus was the source of Zeus's strength, and the King of the Gods could not die while it burned. The ghost of Athena told the de-powered Kratos that the Flame was the only way to defeat any god, the King of Olympus included.
- Who was Pandora and why was she needed at the Flame?
- Pandora was the key born of the heart of the Flame of Olympus, the only thing that could pacify the fire and allow Pandora's Box to be reached. Athena told Kratos he must first seek out Pandora, whom he rescued from the Labyrinth and brought to the Flame.
- How was the Flame of Olympus extinguished?
- At the Chamber of the Flame, Pandora moved to enter the fire herself and Kratos tried to pull her back, but in his rage at Zeus's taunts he released her into the flames. Her sacrifice extinguished the Flame and granted Kratos the box, though when he opened it he found it empty.
Gallery
Images via God of War Wiki
Sources
- GameGod of War (2005), Santa Monica Studio, 2005
- GameGod of War III, Santa Monica Studio, 2010
Spotted a factual error or a primary source we missed? Email a correction. Every flagged claim gets reviewed.
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