OUA HST 140 Assessment task 2

by Feodor Weissmann

student ID 40899152

1. Describe Prometheus' role in humanity's primal history according to Hesiod.

From the first sight according to Hesiod, Prometheus plays a role of biblical snake in humanity's primal history. However in Hesiod`s poem "snake" does not influence the woman, he triggers the event that lead to her creation. Prometheus painted as a challengers Zeus' world order in relations with humans (Theogany (507-543)). First he intervenes in sacrificial meat division, tricking Zeus to accept bull`s bones as an offering (Theogany (545-557)). Later on then Zeus decided to punish mortals by withholding fire from them. Prometheus steals the fire and gives it to the mortals. When Zeus discovers that fire is being given to humans he enrages and as a punishment creates first woman and sends her to world of men . This women bring with her all the "joys" of physical labor and she finalizes separation of mortal and divine realms. You might consider Prometheus a rebel to Zeus or a protector of humanity but one thing is certain, his actions triggered and shaped the human world that Hesiod portrayed. Prometheus portrayed as arrogant titan, his squabble with Zeus has a catastrophic

consequences for humanity. Not only they have to work to support themselves now, the whole situation brings with itself technological progress, it is something that through the course of history was very military oriented. We have the need to support themselves with technical progress, we now have wars and destruction among the humans.

2. How is Plato's Prometheus different from Hesiod's ? What is the significance of the difference to the myth?

In Plato`s version of events Prometheus is not a rebel but was order by Olympians, along with his brother to distribute appropriate capabilities to animals and human. Prometheus`s brother, Epimethius over-distributed capabilities to animals and then it came to humans they are left : "unclothed, unshod, unbedded, unarmed" (Protagoras 321c). Trying to fulfill his mission (with whatever reasons), Prometheus, in state of confusion steals the wisdom from the gods. This is not an act of mutiny, he is fulfilling his mission , mission what Zeus himself has order him to do. Neither this is an act of luxury, this has to do with pure survival of the human kind, it is something what absolutely must be done. Such presentation of the event adds ethical acceptance to this Prometheus doing, clearing any considerations or accusation of Prometheus for human poor being as a result of his actions. In this version of events Prometheus portrayed not as a "snake" but rather a "Messiah" sacrificing himself for the survival of the species he is not part of but feels very passionate towards. Technological progress triggered by Prometheus is not a bad thing, it is necessity since humanity could not survived otherwise. The conflict with Zeus is not emphasized and it is Zeus that ensures the survival of humanity by giving them common moral (set of accepted ethical lows) ground. Protagor states that "here's an extra bit of evidence" (Protagoras 323a) that it had turned out tight and humanity learned to survive and made an order based on the laws given to them by Zeus. Protagor sees the whole episode from a favorable point of view, something that Hesiod is missing then he lays out the story.

Bibliography:

Theogany by Hesiod

Protagoras speach by Plato.

OUA HST 140 Assessment task 1

by Feodor Weissmann

student ID 40899152

In Theogony (greek for creation of gods) Hesoid portrays layered creation of universe (cosmos) and gods in it. Zeus is portrayed as third generation god and a youngest son of Kronos and Rhea. His brothers are (in birth order) Hestia, Demeter, Hera, Hades, and Poseidon. After overthrowing his father Kronos end establishing the rule of his generation, Zeus was recognised as their leader and took no less then seven child bearing wives. First Metis, whom he swallowed while she was carring his child, Tritogeneia (Pallas-Athene) was born directly from him as a result. Scund was Themis, and that union produced seven children, ment to control aspects of life, three Horae (Hours) – Eunomia (Order), Dike (Justice), Eirene (Peace), to govern orderly life, three Moirae (Fates) – Klotho (Spinner), Lachesis (Alotter), Atropos (Unturned) had powers to set a course of life from birth to death and Tyche (Luck), that controlled fortune and prosperity of a polis (city). Zeus`s third mate, Eurynome, bears the three Charites (Graces), Aglaea (Beauty), Euphrosyne (Mirth), and Thalia (Good Cheer) who are goddesses of charm, beauty, creativity and fertility. The fourth wife is his sister Demeter, who bears Persephone (future wife of Hades) . From Mnemosyne, fith wife came the nine Muses – Kleio, Euterpe, Thaleia, Melpomene, Terpsikhore, Erato, Polymnia, Urania, and Kalliope. The sixth wife was Leto, who gives birth to twins, Apollo (Phoebus) and Artemis. Zeuses final wife is Hera, who gives birth to Hebe, Ares, Enyo, Hephastios,and Eileithyia. Aside with the marriges Zeus has affairs with diffreren women leading to children such as Dionysus and Heracles that are described in different Greek meths. Another Greek POET, Homer, deliveres more flat scheme of creation, he also treats Aphrodite as doughtier of Zeus, as oppose to Hesoid`s story of Aphrodite being forged from foam that covered Uranus testicle while it was floating in the ocean. Those differences might be result of focal points of the 2 authors, Hesoid concentrating on gods in his ODY and Homer portraying the gods as inspiring to mortal heroes.

I most of divine religions, super-being share characteristics and attributes with humans, and Greek Pantheon is not an exception, it remains a theological argument, worthy for streets of Constantinople itself if those qualities are part of divine nature or our understanding of their actions through consequences. Good example of god`s human like behavior located in "Book I" of The Iliad by Homer. Apollo parts Olympus in a rage and carnage Greeks for more then a week after Agamemnon captures a beautiful maiden and refuses to give her up to her father, Chryses, a priest of Apollo. In nature, vengeance is domain of only one critter. In Theogany Hera is enraged with birth of Athena, perhaps seeing that as encroachment to women`s domain of childbirth, she immediately demonstrate that she can produce children on her own by giving birth to Hephaestus. God`s anthropomorphism is visualised in paintings with Olympians portrayed in human bodies, then they appear in any other form, it is explained that they shifted form, making human body a default. Again it could be argued that such portrays are indeed human understanding of divine essence.