Here’s the Myth: Zeus gave Prometheus, a Titan, the job of modeling humans; he used river clay and with great care fashioned men in the image of the gods. At the same time, his brother, Epimetheus, made all kinds animals and lavished gifts on them with little thought to saving some of the gifts for his brother’s human creations. Animals could run faster, see, smell and hear better and had more endurance. They kept snug and warm in warm fur coats, while humans shivered in the cold night.

Prometheus felt sorry for his creations and asked Zeus if he might have some sacred fire for his creations. Zeus, said, “No, Olympus’ fire belongs to the gods alone.”

He didn’t want men to suffer, so Prometheus stole a gleaming ember from a sacred hearth and hid it in a hollow stalk of fennel. He carried the fennel down to earth, gave the gift of fire to humans and told them to never let the light from Olympus die out.

Zeus was furious. He chained Prometheus to the top of a mountain. Every day an eagle swooped down from the sky to eat his liver. At night his liver grew back.

Meanwhile, men had fire and were no longer cold at night. Beasts didn’t attack them. More importantly the humans lifted their eyes from the ground and watched the smoke from the fires spiral upwards; their thoughts rose with it to the stars. No longer earth- bound clods, they began to wonder and think and imagine.

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