Prometheus
the Titan who gave fire to mankind
Prometheus was the Titan of forethought and the creator of mankind, who defected to the Olympians in the Great War. When Zeus withheld fire from mortals, Prometheus stole it and was condemned to have his liver devoured each day until Kratos granted him death.
Prometheus was the Titan of forethought, knowledge, crafty counsel, and fire, and the creator of mankind. A second generation Titan and son of Iapetus, he was foreseeing and kind, cherishing the mortals he had made. He defected to the Olympians in the Great War, but later defied Zeus by giving fire to mankind, for which he was made mortal and bound to suffer endless torment until Kratos freed him in death.
Creator of mankind#
Prometheus was a second generation Titan, the son of Iapetus and brother of Atlas and Epimetheus, known for being quick witted and creative. During the Age of the Titans it was he who created the race of mortals. He cherished his creations and desired their betterment and unhindered development in harmony with nature and the deities, and through the Golden Age humanity lived a blissful existence alongside him and his fellow Titans.
Defection to the Olympians#
When Zeus freed his swallowed siblings and the Great War broke out between Cronos and his children, Atlas became the general of the Titans. Prometheus, through his oracular gifts and his knowledge of the will of the Fates, deemed it impossible for Cronos and those loyal to him to win. He therefore chose to defect to the Olympians, betraying his father, his brothers, and his king to stand on the side whose victory was already fated. When the Olympians won, the majority of the Titans were banished to Tartarus, but Prometheus, like his cousin Helios and others such as Iris and Eos, was welcomed into the new pantheon and honored for his part in the hard fought victory.
The theft of fire#
Zeus proved far less benevolent toward mortals than the Titans had been. The earth, ravaged by the war, no longer provided endless abundance, and the Olympians demanded far greater worship and tribute than their predecessors. As the Age of Olympus wore on, the future of mankind grew bleak, and Prometheus appealed to Zeus on their behalf. The dispute escalated until Zeus withheld fire from mankind, condemning them to live in primitive conditions and vulnerable to the dangers of the night.
In defiance, Prometheus stole the primordial fire from the Caves of Olympus and bestowed it upon the mortal world, directly opposing the will of the King of the Gods. Furious at such insolence, Zeus stripped Prometheus of his immortality and divinity and sentenced him to be chained on the outside of the mountain that imprisoned the storm Titan Typhon, bound to the Titan's hand, where a giant eagle would savagely consume him every day for all eternity.
Torment and release#
When Kratos journeyed through the frozen mountain that held Typhon on his way to the Sisters of Fate, he came upon Prometheus chained to Typhon's hand with the great white eagle feeding upon his liver. The bird flew off at the Spartan's arrival, and Prometheus told him how Zeus had placed him there for giving the Fires of Olympus to mankind, made him mortal, and set the eagle to devour him each day only for his liver to heal each night.
Prometheus begged Kratos to release him from his torment. The Spartan struck him until he fell from the hand, but his chain held him hanging above the Fires of Olympus below, and Kratos could not yet reach the chain to free him. Only after obtaining Typhon's Bane did Kratos return, shoot the chain, and send Prometheus falling into the Fires. The Titan screamed as he burned and at last died. His flesh tainted the Fires of Olympus and imbued them with the power of the Titans, and Gaia gave his ashes to Kratos, granting him the Rage of the Titans, which he used to free Pegasus and continue his quest.
Frequently asked questions
- Who is Prometheus in God of War?
- Prometheus was the Titan of forethought, knowledge, crafty counsel, and fire, and the creator of mankind. A second generation Titan and son of Iapetus, brother of Atlas and Epimetheus, he was foreseeing and kind and cherished the mortals he had made.
- Why did Prometheus defect to the Olympians?
- Through his oracular gifts and his knowledge of the will of the Fates, Prometheus deemed it impossible for Cronos and the Titans to win the Great War. He chose to defect to the Olympians, and when they won he was welcomed into the new pantheon and honored for his part in the victory.
- Why did Prometheus steal fire for mankind?
- Under Olympian rule the earth grew barren and the gods demanded greater worship, and Zeus withheld fire from mankind, leaving them in primitive conditions. In defiance, Prometheus stole the primordial fire from the Caves of Olympus and bestowed it upon the mortal world, directly opposing the will of Zeus.
- How was Prometheus punished by Zeus?
- Zeus stripped Prometheus of his immortality and divinity and chained him to the outside of the mountain that imprisoned the storm Titan Typhon, bound to the Titan's hand. There a giant eagle would savagely consume his liver every day, only for it to heal each night.
- How did Kratos free Prometheus from his torment?
- When Kratos came upon Prometheus chained to Typhon's hand, the Titan begged to be released from his agony. After obtaining Typhon's Bane, Kratos shot the chain and sent Prometheus falling into the Fires of Olympus below, ending his suffering. His flesh imbued the Fires with the power of the Titans, and his ashes granted Kratos the Rage of the Titans.
Gallery
Images via God of War Wiki
Sources
- WikiPrometheus — God of War Wiki entry
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Iapetus was a Titan of the first generation, son of Ouranos and Gaia, and the father of Atlas, Prometheus and Epimetheus. He fought against Zeus in the war of the Titans and was cast into Tartarus when the Olympians prevailed.
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