Prometheus

867 Words2 Pages

Over the temple of Apollo at Delphi, there are some norms called “maxims” inscribed. These maxims are essentially rules by which society is expected to live. One of these rules is “Nothing in excess”. This maxim attempts to eradicate extremes. Particular actions and the consumption of luxuries should be regulated; one should not consume to the point of greediness. This rule, if broken, does not go unpunished. Mythological figures are inevitably punished for their gluttony, of which there are countless examples. I am going to focus on Prometheus, who stole fire and gave it to the humans that he “made out of earth and water” (Apollo Library 1.7.1), Icarus, who disregarded his father’s orders in order to satisfy his overzealous curiosity, and …show more content…

However, despite Zeus’s supremacy over the secret to life, Prometheus proceeded to create mortal humans. In order to generate this species, Prometheus stole fire from Zeus as a sustainability precaution for the humans. As punishment, Zeus nailed and chained the Prometheus to a mountain where he would be forced to endure a bird pecking away his immortal liver each day. Since Prometheus could regenerate his liver nightly, the bird would continually devour his liver (Apollo Library 1.7.1). The novel Frankenstein by Mary Shelley was originally titled The Modern Prometheus since both Prometheus and Victor Frankenstein attempted to bypass the higher power’s entire jurisdiction over life and death, and create people on their own. Both Prometheus and Frankenstein ended up in dire situations which proves that particular aspects of fate ought not to be meddled with, and people should not disregard their allocations. Not only did Prometheus and Frankenstein suffer the direct consequences of their actions, but they were also left to contemplate whether they were responsible for any damage that may be caused by their creations. While Prometheus was eventually rescued by Heracles, who slayed the bird that had plagued Prometheus, Zeus’s second punishment, Pandora-the first woman, would eternally remain on earth. If Prometheus had denied his insatiable cleverness, he would not have …show more content…

While Heracles did not choose to possess this excessive power, it nonetheless exemplifies the maxim “nothing in excess”. Heracles is much too powerful for a mortal and as a consequence he accidentally murders many people, including all of his own children, due to the lack of control over his strength. In order to be purified of his crimes Heracles must perform ten labours for Eurystheus, the king of Mycenae at the time. Those who punish Heracles intend for him to die while performing these dangerous and presumably impossible tasks, however Heracles manages to complete each labour. After killing Iphitus, who had defended Heracles, he was sold as a slave and ordered to serve Omphale, princess of Lydia, for three years as his purification. Heracles was eventually poisoned by his wife, Deinaria, because she was jealous that he had captured Iole. This event again exemplifies that an individual can have too much of a good thing, since Heracles had already been with multiple women, and eventually one of the partners poisons

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