Prometheus,The Titan

Origins of Prometheus

Family

Prometheus was one of the rare Titan that could be considered pleasant toward humans, unlike most other immortals in general. But before we talk about his confrontation with Zeus regarding our fates, it is best that we look at his family history. His father was Lapetus, one of the elder Titans and a direct child from the Primordial of the sky Ouranos and the earth Gaia. This familial connection makes Prometheus the nephew of the infamous Titan of time Chronos and light Hyperion.  His mother is an Okeanides, sea nymph daughter of Okeanos and Tethys, named Klymene. She was also a Titan representing fame and renown, and unlike her husband, she wasn't cast to Tartarus when the Olympians took over. Later on, she would serve Hera as a handmaid. She would even be present during Paris's judgment, prince of Troy, but that is a story for another time. Klymene is also referred to by the name Asia, giving her name to Anatolia, being Asia minor. It seems that even at that time, naming things after 'people' was a trend.

However, under this name, she is often mixed up with one of her daughter-in-law Hesione. She was the wife of Prometheus, was also known as Asia, so that's convenient. She also shared the same name as one of her sisters, who was also named Klymene. You may say that Okeanos and Tethys lacked creativity for naming their children. However, naming three thousand something kids can be a real challenge, even for deities. Prometheus also had numerous siblings, with Epimetheus, Titan of afterthoughts and excuses, being his twin. Epimetheus is also kind of an idiot, but more on that later. Atlas, Titan of endurance, and the heavens' holder is also his brother, or sometimes his uncle, depending on the version. 

Who is Prometheus

Now that we know a bit about the family tree of Prometheus, it is time to introduce the Titan properly. Prometheus is the Titan of forethought and craftsmanship and was considered quite smart compared to his rather foolish brother. He is officially the father of humankind. Finally, Prometheus is a notorious trickster. He spends a lot of time messing with the other gods. Surely it won't return and bit him back in the future. Alongside Themis, he was the only Titan to side with the Olympians during the Titanomachy, the 10-year war that saw the Titans' downfall and the Olympians' rise into power. This decision allows him to escape the fate of many of his fellow Titans. This punishment was being locked into the pit of Tartarus, the hell of the Greek world. His twin brother was also spare, probably thanks to Prometheus, but this was never really explained. Now that we have a better understanding of who Prometheus was and his family, we will explore on the next episode his confrontation with Zeus regarding humanity and how it ended up for the Titan.