The Flaws of Prometheus and the Wrath of Zeus: Major Figures in Hesiod's Theogony Anonymous 9th Grade

Zeus is certainly not a person to trifle with, especially when it comes to his sacred fire. The punishments dealt out by Zeus are probably anything but fair but are all very metaphorical and symbolic if the reader reads between the lines. Prometheus, creator of man and thief of fire, is punished by having his liver eaten by an eagle every day until the end of time. In The Story of Prometheus translated by Hugh G. Evelyn-White, the reader sees that hot-headed Zeus’ reactions to Prometheus’ practical jokes symbolize the severity of the ancient Greek government, the intolerance of disobedience and overconfidence, and the fear of the wrath of the gods’ power in ancient Greek culture. Should the reader delve deeper into the history of ancient Greece and its culture, he should discover a great deal about Zeus’ relationship with Prometheus.

Zeus’ drastic punishment for Prometheus in reaction to the theft of the sacred fire signifies the severity of the ancient Greek government in several ways. To punish Prometheus, Zeus “he bound with inextricable bonds, cruel chains, and drove a shaft through his middle, and set on him a long-winged eagle, which used to eat his immortal liver; but by night the liver grew as much again everyway as the...