WEBVTT
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Ideas that have shaped human history as expressed in poetry, speeches, myth, and documents.
00:00:08.320 --> 00:00:11.279
A podcast by Alan Anforth.
00:00:19.120 --> 00:00:28.000
Listeners may recall that in an earlier program on the creation myths, I traced the genealogy of the Greek gods.
00:00:28.640 --> 00:00:36.399
In Greek mythology, Prometheus is a titan responsible for aiding and creating humanity in its earliest days.
00:00:36.960 --> 00:00:48.000
He defied the Olympian gods by taking fire from the gods on Mount Olympus and giving it to humanity in the form of technology, knowledge, more generally, civilization.
00:00:48.640 --> 00:00:54.799
In some of the myths, Prometheus is also credited with the creation of humanity from clay.
00:00:55.600 --> 00:01:04.799
The punishment of Prometheus for stealing fire from Olympus and giving it to humans is the subject of both ancient and modern Greek culture.
00:01:05.200 --> 00:01:12.239
Zeus, king of the Olympian gods, condemned Prometheus to eternal torture for his transgressions.
00:01:12.719 --> 00:01:18.079
He was bound to a rock and an eagle, a symbol of Zeus, was sent to eat his liver.
00:01:18.719 --> 00:01:23.040
In ancient Greece the liver was thought to be the seat of human emotions.
00:01:23.280 --> 00:01:29.439
His liver would grow back overnight, only to be eaten again the next day in an ongoing cycle.
00:01:29.760 --> 00:01:39.840
According to several major versions, myth, most notably that of Hesiod, Prometheus was eventually freed by the hero Hercules.
00:01:40.079 --> 00:01:46.480
Listeners will remember I've traversed the genealogy of Hesiod in an earlier program.
00:01:47.359 --> 00:02:05.840
According to Hesiod, the struggle of Prometheus is located either at Mount Elbrus or Mount Kasbeck, two volcanic promenatories in the Cauxus Mountains, beyond which, according to ancient Greeks, lay the realm of the barbarians.
00:02:07.120 --> 00:02:20.080
In Western tradition, Prometheus became a figure who represented human striving, particularly the quest for scientific knowledge and the risk of overreaching or unintended consequences.
00:02:20.639 --> 00:02:36.479
In particular, in the English romantic period of poetry, he was regarded as embodying the lone genius of those who strove to improve the human existence, but which could also result in tragedy.
00:02:38.639 --> 00:02:46.000
Prometheus is directly involved in the myth of Pandora's box.
00:02:46.560 --> 00:02:57.520
Listeners will recall that in an earlier program on the creation myths I dealt with the riddle of Epicurus about the origin of evil on the world.
00:02:57.840 --> 00:03:04.000
Pandora's box is the Greek attempt to resolve the riddle of Epicurus.
00:03:05.599 --> 00:03:18.400
According to Hesiod, 750-650 BCE, Prometheus stole stole fire from heaven f from Zeus, the king of the gods, and gave it to humans.
00:03:18.800 --> 00:03:28.800
An angry Zeus decided to give humanity a gift in punishment to compensate for the boon or benefit they had been given by Prometheus.
00:03:30.400 --> 00:03:38.080
He moulded from earth the first woman, a beautiful evil, whose descendants would torment the human race.
00:03:38.240 --> 00:03:48.960
The goddess Athena addressed her in s in a silvery gown, an embroidered veil, garlands, and an ornate crown of silver.
00:03:49.280 --> 00:03:55.360
When she first appeared before the gods and mortals, wonder seized them as they looked upon her.
00:03:55.680 --> 00:03:59.439
She was she guile, not to be withstood by men.
00:03:59.759 --> 00:04:15.599
Hesiod elaborates for from her is the race of women and female kind, of her is the deathly race and tribe of women who live among mortal men to their great trouble.
00:04:16.000 --> 00:04:20.720
No helpmates in hateful poverty, but only in wealth.
00:04:22.399 --> 00:04:35.920
Pandora opened a jar left in her care by Zeus, which unbeknown to her contained sickness, death and many other unspecified evils, which were then released into the world.
00:04:36.319 --> 00:04:44.639
Though she hastened to close the container, only the one thing was left behind, and that was hope.
00:04:45.600 --> 00:05:08.480
There were alternate accounts of the jar or urn containing the blessings and evil bestowed upon humanity in Greek myths, of which a very early account is related Homer's Iliad, and it reads On the floor of Jove's palace there stands two urns, one filled with evil gifts and the other with good ones.
00:05:08.800 --> 00:05:36.800
He for whom Jove, the Lord of Thunder, mixes the gifts he send will meet now with good and now with evil fortune, but he to whom Jove sends none but evil gifts will be pointed at by the finger of scorn, the hand of famine will pursue him to the ends of the world, and he will go down the face of the earth, respected neither by God or men.
00:05:38.160 --> 00:05:53.360
The major departure from Heriod is that of Theognus of Megara, who writes That hope is the only good God remaining amongst mankind.
00:05:53.600 --> 00:05:56.079
The others have left and gone to Olympus.
00:05:56.639 --> 00:06:04.720
Trust a mighty God has gone, restraint has gone from men, and the graces, my friend, have abandoned the earth.
00:06:05.040 --> 00:06:11.920
Men's judicial oaths are no longer to be trusted, nor does anyone revere the immortal gods.
00:06:12.160 --> 00:06:14.639
The race of pious men has perished.
00:00:00.320 --> 00:00:08.000
Ideas that have shaped human history as expressed in poetry, speeches, myth, and documents.
00:00:08.320 --> 00:00:11.279
A podcast by Alan Anforth.
00:00:19.120 --> 00:00:28.000
Listeners may recall that in an earlier program on the creation myths, I traced the genealogy of the Greek gods.
00:00:28.640 --> 00:00:36.399
In Greek mythology, Prometheus is a titan responsible for aiding and creating humanity in its earliest days.
00:00:36.960 --> 00:00:48.000
He defied the Olympian gods by taking fire from the gods on Mount Olympus and giving it to humanity in the form of technology, knowledge, more generally, civilization.
00:00:48.640 --> 00:00:54.799
In some of the myths, Prometheus is also credited with the creation of humanity from clay.
00:00:55.600 --> 00:01:04.799
The punishment of Prometheus for stealing fire from Olympus and giving it to humans is the subject of both ancient and modern Greek culture.
00:01:05.200 --> 00:01:12.239
Zeus, king of the Olympian gods, condemned Prometheus to eternal torture for his transgressions.
00:01:12.719 --> 00:01:18.079
He was bound to a rock and an eagle, a symbol of Zeus, was sent to eat his liver.
00:01:18.719 --> 00:01:23.040
In ancient Greece the liver was thought to be the seat of human emotions.
00:01:23.280 --> 00:01:29.439
His liver would grow back overnight, only to be eaten again the next day in an ongoing cycle.
00:01:29.760 --> 00:01:39.840
According to several major versions, myth, most notably that of Hesiod, Prometheus was eventually freed by the hero Hercules.
00:01:40.079 --> 00:01:46.480
Listeners will remember I've traversed the genealogy of Hesiod in an earlier program.
00:01:47.359 --> 00:02:05.840
According to Hesiod, the struggle of Prometheus is located either at Mount Elbrus or Mount Kasbeck, two volcanic promenatories in the Cauxus Mountains, beyond which, according to ancient Greeks, lay the realm of the barbarians.
00:02:07.120 --> 00:02:20.080
In Western tradition, Prometheus became a figure who represented human striving, particularly the quest for scientific knowledge and the risk of overreaching or unintended consequences.
00:02:20.639 --> 00:02:36.479
In particular, in the English romantic period of poetry, he was regarded as embodying the lone genius of those who strove to improve the human existence, but which could also result in tragedy.
00:02:38.639 --> 00:02:46.000
Prometheus is directly involved in the myth of Pandora's box.
00:02:46.560 --> 00:02:57.520
Listeners will recall that in an earlier program on the creation myths I dealt with the riddle of Epicurus about the origin of evil on the world.
00:02:57.840 --> 00:03:04.000
Pandora's box is the Greek attempt to resolve the riddle of Epicurus.
00:03:05.599 --> 00:03:18.400
According to Hesiod, 750-650 BCE, Prometheus stole stole fire from heaven f from Zeus, the king of the gods, and gave it to humans.
00:03:18.800 --> 00:03:28.800
An angry Zeus decided to give humanity a gift in punishment to compensate for the boon or benefit they had been given by Prometheus.
00:03:30.400 --> 00:03:38.080
He moulded from earth the first woman, a beautiful evil, whose descendants would torment the human race.
00:03:38.240 --> 00:03:48.960
The goddess Athena addressed her in s in a silvery gown, an embroidered veil, garlands, and an ornate crown of silver.
00:03:49.280 --> 00:03:55.360
When she first appeared before the gods and mortals, wonder seized them as they looked upon her.
00:03:55.680 --> 00:03:59.439
She was she guile, not to be withstood by men.
00:03:59.759 --> 00:04:15.599
Hesiod elaborates for from her is the race of women and female kind, of her is the deathly race and tribe of women who live among mortal men to their great trouble.
00:04:16.000 --> 00:04:20.720
No helpmates in hateful poverty, but only in wealth.
00:04:22.399 --> 00:04:35.920
Pandora opened a jar left in her care by Zeus, which unbeknown to her contained sickness, death and many other unspecified evils, which were then released into the world.
00:04:36.319 --> 00:04:44.639
Though she hastened to close the container, only the one thing was left behind, and that was hope.
00:04:45.600 --> 00:05:08.480
There were alternate accounts of the jar or urn containing the blessings and evil bestowed upon humanity in Greek myths, of which a very early account is related Homer's Iliad, and it reads On the floor of Jove's palace there stands two urns, one filled with evil gifts and the other with good ones.
00:05:08.800 --> 00:05:36.800
He for whom Jove, the Lord of Thunder, mixes the gifts he send will meet now with good and now with evil fortune, but he to whom Jove sends none but evil gifts will be pointed at by the finger of scorn, the hand of famine will pursue him to the ends of the world, and he will go down the face of the earth, respected neither by God or men.
00:05:38.160 --> 00:05:53.360
The major departure from Heriod is that of Theognus of Megara, who writes That hope is the only good God remaining amongst mankind.
00:05:53.600 --> 00:05:56.079
The others have left and gone to Olympus.
00:05:56.639 --> 00:06:04.720
Trust a mighty God has gone, restraint has gone from men, and the graces, my friend, have abandoned the earth.
00:06:05.040 --> 00:06:11.920
Men's judicial oaths are no longer to be trusted, nor does anyone revere the immortal gods.
00:06:12.160 --> 00:06:14.639
The race of pious men has perished.
