All about history book of myths and legends. ( PDFDrive )

THE HUMAN RACE

Finally, the current race of humans

appeared. Some say that the great Titan

craftsman, Prometheus, was its creator. Whether or not he

actually created humanity, Prometheus certainly became its

navigation and medicine, and showed them how to make

sacrifices, by keeping some of the meat for themselves and

ofering the rest to the gods. Once, the people killed a bull but

could not agree on which part to ofer the gods. Prometheus

cleverly wrapped the meat in the bull’s

skin, and the bones in its fat. Zeus chose

the bones covered in fat, and became so

angry at the deception that he refused

to give fire to the humans.

THE THEFT OF FIRE

Taking the side of humanity, Prometheus

stole fire from heaven and carried it to

Earth so that the people could cook

their food and heat their homes. Zeus

punished Prometheus for the theft by

having him chained to a rock, where an

eagle came to peck at his liver every day.

Unlike many cultures, ancient Greece did not have a single

story narrating the origins of humanity. Greek myths mention

several attempts at creating humans, or mortals as they were

known. Three of these attempts failed before the current race

of humans finally emerged, although it is not clear who is

responsible for their creation. However, the origins of key

cultural skills, such as fire-making, are firmly attributed to the

Titan Prometheus, who is portrayed as a friend of humanity.

THE MYTH

The first attempt at creating a human race took place when

the Titans, led by Cronus, ruled the cosmos.

The result was the Golden Race, a group of people who

lived an ideal existence without work or ageing, and for

whom life was one long feast. When the people of the

Golden Race finally died, their death was like a peaceful

sleep. Nevertheless, it left the Earth unpopulated.

Intent on filling up the void, the Olympians created

the Silver Race, who lived for a long time but grew

very slowly to maturity. Their children were brought up

carefully by their mothers, and spent one hundred years

as babies before reaching adulthood. However, they

turned out to be dull and unintelligent people, fighting

continuously among themselves, and

once they became adults they tended

to die quickly. These qualities,

together with their refusal to

worship or even respect the gods,

exasperated Zeus, so he banished

them to the Underworld. Zeus then

crafted a new race out of clay. The

people of this race wore bronze

armour and used tools made of the

same metal, so they were called the

Bronze Race. Like the Silver Race,

they were aggressive, and destroyed

themselves in ruthless battles.

THE CREATION

OF HUMANKIND

CLASSICAL EUROPE

Prometheus steals fire

Prometheus stole a spark from Mount

Olympus and wrapped it in a stalk

of fennel, where it burned safely as

he carried it to humanity.

The forge of Hephaestus

Prometheus found his fire in the workshop of Hephaestus,

where the craftsman god (and, some say, the Cyclopes)

forged Zeus’s thunderbolts and other powerful weapons.

protector. He taught humans many important skills, including

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