Gods – Greek 2nd Generation Titans – Epimetheus and Prometheus

2nd Generation Greek Titan – Epimetheus

2nd Generation Greek Titan – Prometheus

Epimetheus and Prometheus: Representatives of Mankind

After the Titanomachy, Zeus wanted to populate the Earth with ANIMALS and humans. He entrusted that job with the brothers Epimetheus and Prometheus.

The humans and animals were crafted from clay. Zeus gave the brothers attributes crafted by other deities. Their job was to allocate them to the clay figures before they came to life, giving them the strengths and skills to survive on Earth.

Epimetheus took on the role of distributing attributes. He enjoyed the job, and Prometheus would check on his brother’s work before releasing the creatures into the Earth.

All went well at first. Epimetheus made sure that every creature was equipped with a skill. Some would be natural predators, while others gained the ability to dig or fly. Everything was going according to plan. That is, however, until Epimetheus got to humans.

According to poets like Hesiod and Plato, what happens next is why Epimetheus got his name. The name translates to “afterthought” or “hindsight,” representing Epimetheus’ way of thinking. He did not plan, simply acting on impulse without giving his action any ounce of thought.

When he finally got to humans, he realized that there were no more attributes left to give. He pleaded with Zeus for more, but the King of gods would not create additional attributes to provide. He was willing to unleash humans into the world unprotected. However, Epimetheus’ brother decided to take action.

Epimetheus

The tale of Epimetheus is one that poets often use to describe the unfavorable habits of humans. His myth involves the creation of man and the disastrous ramifications of acting before thinking. Epimetheus isn’t as well-known as other figures in GREEK MYTHOLOGY, but his story is certainly memorable.

The Origins of Epimetheus

Epimetheus is a second-generation god. He was born from IAPETUS and Clymene. Iapetus is the son of URANUS and GAIA, two primordial beings responsible for starting the succession myth. Clymene was an OCEANID nymph born to Titans OCEANUS and TETHYS.

Epimetheus had three brothers. All of them play important roles in Greek mythology. There was Atlas, who is most famous for the punishment of holding up the heavens put onto him by ZEUS. His second brother was MENOETIUS, who was banished to TARTARUS for his role in the Divine war.

Prometheus was his third brother. PROMETHEUS and Epimetheus share a strong connection due to the part they played in the creation of man. But before that happened, there was the Titanomachy.

THE TITANOMACHY was a vicious ten-year war between the TITANS and the OLYMPIANS. The Titan CRONUS swallowed all of his children in fear of one of them overtaking his spot on the Divine throne. Eventually, his wife RHEA snuck one child away before Cronus could swallow it. That child grew up to be Zeus.

He challenged his father, forcing him to disgorge his siblings. The newly freed children, the Twelve Olympians, waged war against the Titans for revenge. It was a destructive war that lasted an entire decade. Most Titans participated. That included Epimetheus’ brothers ATLAS and Menoetius.

However, Epimetheus and Prometheus did not participate in the Titanomachy. They remained neutral, which would prove to be a smart move that saved them in the end.

The Olympians won the war with help from the three CYCLOPES and the HECATONCHIRES. As the battle concluded, Zeus took the mantle on MOUNT OLYMPUS. He became the King of the gods and swiftly punished the Titans. Once great gods like HYPERION and Cronus were doomed to Tartarus. Epimetheus’ brother, Menoetius, was struck by one of Zeus’ lightning rods during battle. He was subsequently imprisoned before going to Tartarus.

Meanwhile, Epimetheus’ other brother, Atlas, was famously doomed to hold up the heavens for all of eternity!

But Epimetheus and Prometheus? Zeus did not punish them. They were neutral, so he entrusted them with an important task. This is where Epimetheus’ myth truly gets started.

Epimetheus is a second-generation god. He was born from IAPETUS and Clymene. Iapetus is the son of URANUS and GAIA, two primordial beings responsible for starting the succession myth. Clymene was an OCEANID nymph born to Titans OCEANUS and TETHYS.

Epimetheus had three brothers. All of them play important roles in Greek mythology. There was Atlas, who is most famous for the punishment of holding up the heavens put onto him by ZEUS. His second brother was MENOETIUS, who was banished to TARTARUS for his role in the Divine war.

Prometheus was his third brother. PROMETHEUS and Epimetheus share a strong connection due to the part they played in the creation of man. But before that happened, there was the Titanomachy.

THE TITANOMACHY was a vicious ten-year war between the TITANS and the OLYMPIANS. The Titan CRONUS swallowed all of his children in fear of one of them overtaking his spot on the Divine throne. Eventually, his wife RHEA snuck one child away before Cronus could swallow it. That child grew up to be Zeus.

He challenged his father, forcing him to disgorge his siblings. The newly freed children, the Twelve Olympians, waged war against the Titans for revenge. It was a destructive war that lasted an entire decade. Most Titans participated. That included Epimetheus’ brothers ATLAS and Menoetius.

However, Epimetheus and Prometheus did not participate in the Titanomachy. They remained neutral, which would prove to be a smart move that saved them in the end.

The Olympians won the war with help from the three CYCLOPES and the HECATONCHIRES. As the battle concluded, Zeus took the mantle on MOUNT OLYMPUS. He became the King of the gods and swiftly punished the Titans. Once great gods like HYPERION and Cronus were doomed to Tartarus. Epimetheus’ brother, Menoetius, was struck by one of Zeus’ lightning rods during battle. He was subsequently imprisoned before going to Tartarus.

Meanwhile, Epimetheus’ other brother, Atlas, was famously doomed to hold up the heavens for all of eternity!

But Epimetheus and Prometheus? Zeus did not punish them. They were neutral, so he entrusted them with an important task. This is where Epimetheus’ myth truly gets started.

Prometheus

Prometheus was the famous TITAN GOD of fire. His name is thought to mean “forethought’. He is credited with molding mankind out of mud and clay. Unfortunately, his desire to improve the lives of his creations, resulted in constant conflict with Zeus.

Son of the OCEANID Clymene and the Titan IAPETUS, he along with his brother EPIMETHEUS fought for ZEUS and the rest of the OLYMPIANS in the TITANOMACHY. However, after aiding Zeus and helping him win the war, he began to quarrel with him about his unfair treatment of humanity.

Often regarded as a trickster, Prometheus first tested Zeus by tricking the gods during a sacrificial feast. He then stole fire from the gods up in heaven and gave it to mankind, resulting in years of torture.

As punishment for his rebelliousness, Zeus chained him to a cliff and had an eagle feast upon his regenerating liver day in and day out. He also created the first woman, Pandora, to bring misfortune and calamity to the house of man.

Generations later, Zeus’ son, the great hero HERACLES, came to the rescue by shooting the eagle and freeing Prometheus. While he made peace with Zeus afterwards, he would continue to be held in high regard as a spreader of knowledge and romanticized as a hero for his acts.

Prometheus’ Family

Hesiod’s THEOGONY states Prometheus was the son of the Titan Iapetus, and his mother was the Oceanid Clymene. Most scholars agree, but there have been other references to him being the son of Iapetos and Asia, the Titan Eurymedon and HERA, or of URANUS and Clymene.

As far as the rest of his family goes, Prometheus was the brother of fellow Titans MENOETIUS, ATLAS, and Epimetheus. The duo of Prometheus (Forethought) and Epimetheus (Afterthought) have been referenced countless times throughout Greek mythology.

Prometheus had three children: Deucalion, Hellen, and Aidos. Deucalion was eerily similar to Noah in the Christian Bible. Like Noah, he survived a great flood responsible for wiping out the rest of humanity, and he was able to do so by floating in a massive chest for nine days and nine nights. He and his wife PYRRHA were the only survivors, and they are credited with repopulating the human race.

Prometheus and the Titanomachy

Prior to the creation of humanity, there was a great battle between the Greek gods and a race of giants known as the Titans. The Titans not killed in the battle were driven to TARTARUS to spend their days in eternal hell.

Despite being a Titan himself, Prometheus, whose name translates to foresight, convinced his brother Epimetheus to fight alongside him with the Olympian gods led by Zeus. In fact, Prometheus was one of the battle’s ringleaders, helping Zeus defeat the Titans and take control of the heavens in a struggle said to have lasted over a decade.

He switched sides in support of the victorious Olympians simply because the Titans refused to follow his advice to apply trickery and deception in the battle. His two other brothers, ATLAS and Menoetius, remained loyal and fought with their fellow Titans against Prometheus, Epimetheus, and the Olympians. However, they and the rest of the Titans were defeated, proving it’s wise to follow someone with the name “forethought.”

Prometheus and the Creation of Man

As thanks for fighting alongside the Olympians in the Titanomachy and helping them win the decade long battle, Zeus entrusted the Titan brothers with the responsibility of creating every living thing, including man.

Epimetheus was tasked with blessing creatures with gifts of the gods. He gave flight to some creatures and the ability to race through grass or move through water to others. He gave the beasts sharp claws, soft fur, and glittering scales.

Meanwhile, Prometheus was busy shaping mud to make the first humans. They were formed to reflect the image of the gods. According to some authors, Athena brought the clay figures formed by Prometheus to life.

Despite looking like them, Zeus ordered the humans to remain mortal. They were also ordered to worship the gods of MOUNT OLYMPUS from Earth below.

Why? Well, because Zeus saw the humans as subservient creatures, so he made them dependent on the Olympians for protection from the elements and monstrous creatures like the Hydra, SPHINX, or NEMEAN LION.

However, Prometheus wanted to give his creations a greater purpose and completely opposed Zeus’ decree. So, when asked by Zeus how sacrifices were to be made, the cunning Prometheus devised a trick to give humans a bit more power.

Prometheus’ Crimes

Prometheus is most known as being a punished benefactor to humans. He got that reputation because he did not want humans to go into the world without any skills to help them survive. With Zeus’ refusal to create more attributes, Prometheus decided to steal some.

He chose civilized arts and fire and the gifted skills for humans. He stole the civilized art from ATHENA and fire from Hephaestus. Prometheus quickly gave the attributes and let man go onto Earth. He was successful, but his actions enraged Zeus.

He was punished for essentially covering the mistake of his brother. Prometheus was famously taken to the Caucasus Mountains. There, he was chained up as a crow fed on his regenerating liver for eternity. But before he was whisked away for punishment, he warned his brother not to accept any gifts from Zeus or the Olympians.

Once again, Epimetheus failed to have any forethought.