Prometheus
The two Titans, clever Prometheus and his intelligence-challenged brother Epimetheus, were not imprisoned after the war between the Olympians and the Titans because they were on neither side. According to one legend Prometheus shaped man out of mud, and then Athena put life into the clay figures. Then Prometheus let Epimetheus give different qualities to the animals and man. Epimetheus started off with the animals to which he gave the best qualities (swiftness, courage, cunning, stealth, etc.). After he was finished, he found out that he had nothing to give man. So Prometheus took over, and after long thought, he gave man an upright posture like the gods. This let man survive. Prometheus liked man better (because he basically created them) than the gods at Mount Olympus because they kicked out his relatives (the rest of the Titans) to Tartarus. The Olympians decided that man would sacrifice animals to the gods to show their respect. Zeus was to decide which parts of the animals would go to the gods and which parts would go to man. Prometheus made two piles of different parts of an animal so Zeus could make his choice. But slyly, Prometheus (remember he favored man over gods) made one pile of bones which he wrapped in the juicy fat of the animal and another pile of the edible meat which he wrapped in the ugly hide of the animal. Naturally Zeus chose the fat-wrapped package, and was full of anger when he saw that he had been tricked. In revenge he took fire away from man. But Prometheus was not done yet. He went up into heaven and lighted a torch at the sun; then returned to earth and gave the fire to man. Now Zeus went mad with rage. He ordered Hephaestus to make a mortal of stunning beauty, to who Hermes gave a quality called curiosity. This was the first woman, Pandora, and a worse curse never befell man. Prometheus had warned his brother about accepting gifts from Zeus, but Epimetheus could not resist this beautiful creature and brought her to man. The gods had given her a jar, which they forbade her to open, but being a woman, her curiosity made her open the jar. (as the gods had planned). As she opened the lid, many evils flew out and scattered over the world to hurt man. Remaining in the jar was Hope, the only good thing in the jar. For Prometheus, Zeus gave him a punishment. He had Prometheus chained to a rock, and every day he sent an eagle to peck out the Titan's liver, which grew back again every night. This pain was to last forever, or until, first, an immortal would sacrifice his life for Prometheus and, second, a mortal would kill the eagle and unchain Prometheus. Finally, after many ages, the centaur Chiron agreed to die for Prometheus and Heracles (Hercules) killed the eagle and unchained Prometheus.
