Description
Book SynopsisPrometheus the god stole fire from heaven and bestowed it on humans. In punishment, Zeus chained him to a rock, where an eagle clawed unceasingly at his liver, until Herakles freed him. For the Greeks, the myth of Prometheus' release reflected a primordial law of existence and the fate of humankind. The author examines the story of Prometheus.
Trade Review"A sterling example of classical scholarship, literary exegesis, and cultural inference... Not only does this book tell us much about man, through his prototypical image, but also much about the Greek civilization which created Prometheus in its image."--Contemporary Psychology
Table of ContentsList of PlatesIntroductionIWho Is Goethe's Prometheus?3IIThe Titanic, and the Eternity of the Human Race19IIIThe Prometheus Mythologem in the 'Theogony'33IVArchaic Prometheus Mythology50VMethodological Intermezzo63VIThe World in Possession of Fire69VIIThe Fire Stealer77VIIIThe 'Prometheus Bound'83IXPrometheus the Knowing One93XThe Promethean Prophecy107XI'Prometheus Delivered'112XIIConclusion after Goethe129Abbreviations134List of Works Cited135Index145
