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Bulfinch's Mythology

Chapter 2 PROMETHEUS AND PANDORA

Word Count: 2643    |    Released on: 29/11/2017

an, its inhabitant. The ancient pagans, not having the information on the subject which we de

ea, and air were all mixed up together; so the earth was not solid, the sea was not fluid, and the air was not transparent. God and Nature at last interposed, and put an end to this discord, separating earth from sea, and h

heir places, raised mountains, scooped out valleys, distributed woods, fountains, fertile fields, and stony plains. The air be

d from heaven, there lurked still some heavenly seeds. Prometheus took some of this earth, and kneading it up with water, made man in the image of the gods. He

at the chariot of the sun, and brought down fire to man. With this gift man was more than a match for all other animals. It enabled him to make weapons wherewith to subdue them; tools with which to cultivate the earth; to warm his dwelling, so as to be comparatively independent of climate; and finally to introduce the arts and to coin money, the means of trade and commerce. Woman was not yet made. The story (absurd enough!) is that Jupiter made her, and sent her to Prometheus and his brother, to punish them for their presumption in stealing fire from heaven; and man, for accepting the gift. The first woman was named Pandora. She was made in heaven, every god contributing something to perfect her. Venus gave her beauty, Mercury persuasion, Apollo music, etc. Thus equipped, she was conveyed to earth, and presented to Epimetheus, who gladly accepted her,

to which every god had put some blessing. She opened the box incautiously, and the blessings all escaped, HOPE only excepted. This story seems more pro

en or punish. The forest had not yet been robbed of its trees to furnish timbers for vessels, nor had men built fortifications round their towns. There were no such things as swords, spears, or helmets. The earth broug

Then, first, men had to endure the extremes of heat and cold, and houses became necessary. Caves were the first dwellings, and leafy coverts of the woo

keels to ships, and vex the face of ocean. The earth, which till now had been cultivated in common, began to be divided off into possessions. Men were not satisfied with what the surface produced, but must dig into its bowels, and draw forth from thence the ores of metals. Mischievous IRON, and more mischievous GOLD, were produced. War sprang up, using both as weapons; the guest w

where she became the constellation Virgo-the Virgin. Themis (Justice) was the mother of Astraea. She

would one day return, and bring back the Golden Age. Even i

cease, and ancient

tice lift alo

world her oli

Innocence from

Hymn on the Nativity,

burning; but recollecting the danger that such a conflagration might set heaven itself on fire, he changed his plan, and resolved to drown it. The north wind, which scatters the clouds, was chained up; the south was sent out, and soon covered all the face of heaven with a cloak of pitchy darkness. The clouds, driven together, resound with a crash; torrents of rain fall; the crops are laid low; the year's labor of the husbandman perishes in an hour. Jupiter, not satisfied with his own waters, calls on his brother Neptune to aid him with his. He lets loose the rivers, and pours them over the land. At the same time, he heaves the land with an earthquake, and brings in the reflux of the ocean over the shores. Flocks, herds, men, and houses are swept away, and templ

race as he at first made it! But as we cannot, let us seek yonder temple, and inquire of the gods what remains for us to do." They entered the temple, deformed as it was with slime, and approached the altar, where no fire burned. There they fell prostrate on the earth, and prayed the goddess to inform them how they might retrieve their miserable affairs. The oracle answered, "Depart from the temple with head veiled and garments unbound, and cast behind you the bones of your mother." They heard the words with astonishment. Pyrrha first broke silence: "We cannot obey; we dare not profane the remains of our parents." They sought the thickest shades of the wood, and revolved the oracle in their minds. At length Deucalion spoke: "Either my sagacity deceives me, or the command is one we may obey without impiety. The ea

to Pandora is too ob

ces it in Book IV.

than Pandora,

l their gifts;

, when to th

ught by Herme

er fair looks,

stole Jove's

were sons of Iapetus, whic

ger of the ruler of gods and men. Jupiter had him chained to a rock on Mount Caucasus, where a vulture preyed on his liver, which was renewed as fast as devoured. This state of torment might have been brought to an end at any time by Prometheus, if he had been willing to submit to his oppressor; for h

e both treated this t

n's

whose imm

rings of

their sa

things that

hy pity's

uffering,

e vulture, a

proud can f

they do

cating se

e crime was

with thy p

human wre

en man with

as thou wer

thy pati

durance a

impenetra

d heaven could

lesson we

loys the same

apoleon B

thief of fir

withstand

ith him-the

ure and

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1 Chapter 1 INTRODUCTION2 Chapter 2 PROMETHEUS AND PANDORA3 Chapter 3 APOLLO AND DAPHNE-PYRAMUS AND THISBE CEPHALUS AND PROCRIS4 Chapter 4 JUNO AND HER RIVALS, IO AND CALLISTO-DIANA AND ACTAEON-LATONA AND THE RUSTICS5 Chapter 5 PHAETON6 Chapter 6 MIDAS-BAUCIS AND PHILEMON7 Chapter 7 PROSERPINE-GLAUCUS AND SCYLLA8 Chapter 8 PYGMALION-DRYOPE-VENUS AND ADONIS-APOLLO AND HYACINTHUS9 Chapter 9 CEYX AND HALCYONE OR, THE HALCYON BIRDS10 Chapter 10 VERTUMNUS AND POMONA11 Chapter 11 CUPID AND PSYCHE12 Chapter 12 CADMUS-THE MYRMIDONS13 Chapter 13 NISUS AND SCYLLA-ECHO AND NARCISSUS-CLYTIE-HERO AND LEANDER14 Chapter 14 MINERVA-NIOBE15 Chapter 15 THE GRAEAE OR GRAY-MAIDS-PERSEUS-MEDUSA-ATLAS-ANDROMEDA16 Chapter 16 MONSTERS17 Chapter 17 THE GOLDEN FLEECE-MEDEA18 Chapter 18 MELEAGER AND ATALANTA19 Chapter 19 HERCULES-HEBE AND GANYMEDE20 Chapter 20 THESEUS-DAEDALUS-CASTOR AND POLLUX21 Chapter 21 BACCHUS-ARIADNE22 Chapter 22 No.2223 Chapter 23 THE RURAL DEITIES-ERISICHTHON-RHOECUS-THE WATER DEITIES- CAMENAE-WINDS24 Chapter 24 ACHELOUS AND HERCULES-ADMETUS AND ALCESTIS-ANTIGONE-PENELOPE25 Chapter 25 ORPHEUS AND EURYDICE-ARISTAEUS-AMPHION-LINUS-THAMYRIS- MARSYAS-MELAMPUS-MUSAEUS26 Chapter 26 ARION-IBYCUS-SIMONIDES-SAPPHO27 Chapter 27 ENDYMION-ORION-AURORA AND TITHONUS-ACIS AND GALATEA28 Chapter 28 THE TROJAN WAR29 Chapter 29 THE FALL OF TROY-RETURN OF THE GREEKS-ORESTES AND ELECTRA30 Chapter 30 ADVENTURES OF ULYSSES-THE LOTUS-EATERS-CYCLOPES-CIRCE-SIRENS -SCYLLA AND CHARYBDIS-CALYPSO31 Chapter 31 THE PHAEACIANS-FATE OF THE SUITORS32 Chapter 32 ADVENTURES OF AENEAS-THE HARPIES-DIDO-PALINURUS33 Chapter 33 THE INFERNAL REGIONS-THE SIBYL34 Chapter 34 CAMILLA-EVANDER-NISUS AND EURYALUS-MEZENTIUS-TURNUS35 Chapter 35 PYTHAGORAS-EGYPTIAN DEITIES-ORACLES36 Chapter 36 ORIGIN OF MYTHOLOGY-STATUES OF GODS AND GODDESSES-POETS OF MYTHOLOGY37 Chapter 37 MODERN MONSTERS-THE PHOENIX-BASILISK-UNICORN-SALAMANDER38 Chapter 38 EASTERN MYTHOLOGY-ZOROASTER-HINDU MYTHOLOGY-CASTES-BUDDHA- GRAND LAMA39 Chapter 39 NORTHERN MYTHOLOGY-VALHALLA-THE VALKYRIOR40 Chapter 40 THOR'S VISIT TO JOTUNHEIM41 Chapter 41 THE DEATH OF BALDUR-THE ELVES-RUNIC LETTERS-ICELAND-TEUTONIC MYTHOLOGY-NIBELUNGEN LIED42 Chapter 42 INTRODUCTION No.4243 Chapter 43 THE MYTHICAL HISTORY OF ENGLAND44 Chapter 44 MERLIN45 Chapter 45 ARTHUR46 Chapter 46 No.4647 Chapter 47 SIR GAWAIN48 Chapter 48 CARADOC BRIEFBRAS; OR, CARADOC WITH THE SHRUNKEN ARM49 Chapter 49 LAUNCELOT OF THE LAKE50 Chapter 50 THE ADVENTURE OF THE CART51 Chapter 51 THE LADY OF SHALOTT52 Chapter 52 QUEEN GUENEVER'S PERIL53 Chapter 53 TRISTRAM AND ISOUDE54 Chapter 54 No.5455 Chapter 55 SIR TRISTRAM'S BATTLE WITH SIR LAUNCELOT56 Chapter 56 THE ROUND TABLE57 Chapter 57 SIR PALAMEDES58 Chapter 58 SIR TRISTRAM59 Chapter 59 PERCEVAL60 Chapter 60 THE SANGREAL, OR HOLY GRAAL61 Chapter 61 No.6162 Chapter 62 No.6263 Chapter 63 SIR AGRIVAIN'S TREASON64 Chapter 64 THE BRITONS65 Chapter 65 THE LADY OF THE FOUNTAIN66 Chapter 66 No.6667 Chapter 67 No.6768 Chapter 68 GERAINT, THE SON OF ERBIN69 Chapter 69 No.6970 Chapter 70 No.7071 Chapter 71 PWYLL, PRINCE OF DYVED72 Chapter 72 BRANWEN, THE DAUGHTER OF LLYR73 Chapter 73 MANAWYDDAN74 Chapter 74 KILWICH AND OLWEN75 Chapter 75 No.7576 Chapter 76 TALIESIN