Prometheus

 

I couldn't wait to develop the 4 year plan for reading "good for me" literature (who even does that?).so I began right away with Prometheus Bound by Aeschylus,

I had heard about Prometheus and his giving fire to humans and his providing an eagle with a daily liver charcuterie but I didn't know who he was or who chained him or why he was chained. I read the play (total transparency here: I fell asleep twice) and realizing I needed help, I looked to YouTube. Luckily I found Zaireeto's synopsis of the Prometheus Bound - Ancient Greek Play. 

I then read the play again, this time with eyes open.

As a result I met Hephaestus, Ion, and Hermes and I whet my appetite to get Prometheus' full story.

It turns out that the Wikipedia article Prometheus has the full story, but, alas, I found myself falling asleep (AGAIN!).  So I looked for some fun ways to feed my mind:

• If you want the full story, watch the 5 minute TED ed production of The Myth of Prometheus. Iseult Gillespie does a good job of weaving together the various writings in which Prometheus lives.  Iseult also includes 19th century works in which he plays a starring role, which is a way that artists and thinkers participate in Hutchins' and Adler's the Great Conversation. The only quibble that I have with Iseult is that he uses a vulture instead of an eagle. (2018)

• For a tease about how widespread the myth is watch the 8 minute PBS production of Why Prometheus risked everything for humans. Iseult Gillespie also wrote this and includes snippets of Promethean heroes in other cultures. (2023)

• As I mentioned above, here's the 6 minute Zaireeto synopsis of the Prometheus Bound - Ancient Greek Play written by Aeschylus. (2023) 

Finally, if you want to read the play and part of Plato's dialogue:

• A 40 page script of Prometheus Bound by Aeschylus, translated by Ian Johnston. (2012)

• A paraphrase of the paragraph in the dialogue Protagoras by Plato, where Protagoras uses Prometheus to illustrate his claim that virtue can be taught.

 One great read complete, 199 to go! : )

[NOTE: 20250223 I met Azazel in Paradise Lost and learned that, besides being in the Pandemonium, he's also the demon that claims the scapegoat every Yom Kippur. Interestingly enough, in another Hebrew story (Book of Enoch) he was punished for giving humans forbidden knowledge and subsequently punished when the Archangel Raphael chained him to jagged rocks until Judgement Day. Granite (a little pun), I might be guilty of a little confirmation bias for seeing links (sorry, I couldn't help myself) between Azazel and Prometheus]