AR201 Lecture Notes - Lecture 5: Minoan Snake Goddess Figurines, Culture Hero, Hamartia
13 Feb 2018
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Only surviving work of trilogy which also included prometheus unbound and. Might and violence (allegorical figures representing qualities of autocratic zeus) bring prometheus to scythia. Hephaistos chains prometheus to a rock, but pities him. Prometheus enumerates to chorus (oceanids: daughters of ocean) all his benefactions to mankind: formed basis of greek civilized culture. Io, priestess of hera arrives: tormented by hera as one of zeus" conquests. Prometheus tell io that she will find peace in egypt and that descendent. Prometheus also knew about prophecy that zeus would be overpowered by son of nereid thetis if they had child together; instead thetis marries mortal hero. Prometheus refused to divulge secret to hermes (zeus" messenger god) leading to further torment by zeus. Zeus the despot (rules by force rather than law) vs. prometheus the heroic rebel. Titan prometheus guilty of hamartia "missing the mark"- any action that did not win divine approval.
