Prometheus Bound, 4

The Nymphs, feeling sorry for Io, lament the treachery of Zeus's romances.  Prometheus revels in his knowledge of Zeus's ultimate overthrow-- even growing bolder in his taunts, to the Nymphs' chagrin.

Hermes arrives, on a mission from Zeus, to ask the details of this overthrow.  Prometheus responds with his boldest sneers yet:

Oh, the pomposity, the superfine conceit
Of such a speech!  It fits an errandboy
Of gods so new in youth and rule they think
They live on heights too high for grief.
From these same heights-- ah!-- have I not seen
Two monarchs fall?  As now the third, this moment's king,
I shall see fall most shamefully and swift tomorrow...

Back-and-forth between Prometheus and Hermes: Hermes ridiculing Prometheus for his defiance, while Prometheus makes fun of Hermes for his devotion, and rages against his (and the other Olympians') betrayal of himself.  Continued refusal to tell Zeus what he needs to know, even through worse punishment.  Hermes promises that it's coming-- including storms, floods, and the eagle eating his liver-- and could only be stopped if some other god takes Prometheus's place.

Prometheus will not be moved-- in part because he know full well what is coming.  And so the howling wind rises...

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Defiance.  OK, so what does it actually mean?

If Prometheus in the play represents mankind, we have Aeschylus claiming an inherent dignity for man as opposed to subordination to the will of the gods.  They will be masters of their own fate.  After all, the Greeks, and especially the Athenians, just beat back an existential threat in the form of an invading foreign army.  (But wouldn't they have credited the gods with assisting them in the defense of their homeland?)

This is also starting to work out the contradictions inherent in the Greeks' conception of the gods-- as flawed, bumbling, petty Super-creatures that can't keep their own affairs in order.  Other than their power, what characteristics do the gods possess that make them worthy of worship?  And if men can demonstrate impressive power of their own-- or can start to resist and tame the external troubles attributed to the gods-- who needs 'em?  A period of unchecked success leads to a period of novel hubris and self-importance.  But it can't last forever.

It would be nice to be able to read the remainder of the trilogy.

Prometheus Bound, 3

Io arrives, in her form of a cow and followed, as always, by a stinging fly.  Another victim of Zeus (or the Olympians-- possibly Hera), she approaches Prometheus and asks where she is.  He tells her, and tells how he came to be shackled to the mountain.  Io asks how long she will be made to suffer, but Prometheus doesn't have the heart to tell her.

The Nymphs ask for her story, which Io tells.  In dreams, she was tempted to go to the bed of Zeus.  When her father Inachus learned the meaning of the dreams, he banished her from the house.  With nowhere else to turn, she went to Zeus.  After, she was transformed into the cow, and followed by the giant Argus.  Hera, though, killed Argus and replaced him with the wasp. 

Prometheus then tells her where her wanderings and sufferings will take her next.  She will go on a long, harrowing journey through faraway lands, rivers, and mountains.  Io cries out in distress, but Prometheus is just getting started.  And he tells her that her suffering is nothing compared to his own, which will only come to an end at the fall of Zeus.  He finally gives details, saying it will be at the hand of his own son, who will also be a descendant of Io.  Io starts asking too many questions, but Prometheus agrees to tell her the rest of her fate.  (To the Nymphs, he will reveal the remaining details of Zeus's overthrow and his own escape.)

Io will continue her journey across Asia, through lands of monsters-- including Gorgons and Griffins-- finally settling and founding a colony.  To prove that he knows of what he speaks, Prometheus accurately describes the journey that has brought her to him.  Going further, he predicts that Io will finally be restored by Zeus, and will bear a son, Epaphus.  Five generations later, a group of females will flee from their arranged marriages, and instead kill their betrothed-- all except one, who would choose "The lesser of two woes: Name of coward rather than of killer."  From her descendants would be born the man who will free Prometheus.

Io, stung again, departs.

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The world is a rough place.

Prometheus Bound, 2

Prometheus: "In the conflict between the Titans and the Olympians, I was trying to broker a peace.  Unsuccessful, I threw my lot in with Zeus.  Through my plans, he attained victory, casting the Titans into Tartarus.  But then Zeus became a despot.  Among other crimes, he planned to wipe away mankind in favor of a new race of creatures.  I wouldn't have it.  And for saving them, I am punished.  Yes, I gave them fire.  (I also gave them hope within their hearts.)"

Chorus encourages Prometheus that he will find escape, but he won't hear it, knowing his fate.  He also lashes out at the encouragement, saying it's easy enough for ones not under punishment to look on things optimistically.

Ocean arrives, telling Prometheus not to rail against Zeus so loudly, so not to bring an even worse punishment upon himself.  He also pledges to appeal to Zeus to let Prometheus go free.  Prometheus mocks the offer, then apologetically says instead that any appeal will be of no use.  He sees the punishment Zeus has set for Atlas.  He knows of the punishment Zeus laid for Typhon, now buried beneath Mount Aetna but destined to erupt one day.  Moreover, Prometheus wants to keep Ocean from bringing the punishment of Zeus on himself.  Ocean goes anyway.

The Chorus laments the current sufferings of mankind-- especially in the far-off lands of Asia.  Prometheus knows that whatever they suffer, this would be the natural state of man except for his own intercession.  P: "I taught them the astral calendar; math; written language; husbandry; sailing; medicine; dream interpretation; prophecy and pleasing sacrifice; and fire."

Chorus: "Surely if you are so powerful, you can escape this punishment."  P: "It is not only Zeus that maintains my punishment, but also the Fates-- and they are stronger than Zeus.  Even he cannot escape the fate that is coming to him."  Chorus: "What?"  P: "Forget I said that.  It's a secret I must keep throughout my ordeal."

Prometheus Bound, 1

Might and Force escort Prometheus, with Hephaestus, to his place of punishment.  Hephaestus is reluctant to follow through with his task.  Might pushes him on, reminding him of his duty to execute Zeus's instructions, and appealing to his personal stake in the matter-- it was Hephaestus's fire that Prometheus gave to mankind.  Hephaestus does the deed sorrowfully, and departs.  Might gets in a little extra taunting-- over the irony of Prometheus being the "Man of Forethought," given his fate-- and departs.

Alone, Prometheus calls out to Earth [his great-grandmother, or something] for comfort.  He wonders what relief might come, but then resents that he indeed can see the full length of his fate in front of him.  A band of sea-nymphs [the Chorus] arrive, sent by Ocean [their father] to discuss the situation with him.  They rue the rise of Zeus over the Titans and his new style of rule over the heavens.  Prometheus says he would prefer isolation in Hades over being shackled in sight of the gods as he is.  But he also looks forward to the day when Zeus will come to him for assistance in thwarting the eventual plot against him.  Prometheus vows he will not help unless set free.  The nymphs ask for the tale that eventually led him here, and Prometheus begins to tell...