Prometheus

**Prometheus** was a major supporting character in the *Divine Comedy*.

He was one of the Giants that helped shaped the Earth into a paradisal home for humanity. But perhaps most prevalent is that Prometheus was the one Giant that greatly adored humanity and was perhaps one of their greatest benefactors. His love for humans made him go against divine law itself which consequently led to his unjustly punishment.

## History

### Background

Prometheus was one of the many Giants that arrived to a barren Earth and given the blueprint by God to mold it into a wondrous home for His latest creations. Prometheus was an inquisitive yet hardy Giant, always out and about to learn more about the wonders of what God will show. His answers came when he heard talks about God's latest toys and decided to go take a peek to see what all the fuss was about. Prometheus beheld the Garden of Eden, a paradise that resembled the Earth, and it was there he hid in the bushes and saw what all the rave was about: humans.

Prometheus was fascinated by them so much that he snuck away from his fellow Giants repeatedly to watch how these humans behaved and acted. Prometheus also learned that these humans would eventually come to inherit the Earth which excited the young Giant since they would be tasked to teach them the wonders of the planet they molded for them. Eventually, when Prometheus finally revealed what God was making, one of the Giants was quite displeased, especially over the fact that these "mud-things" would be given the planet they fashioned and was rightfully theirs. This Giant was Cronus, the most ambitious and bold of the Giants, who in his mind believed that they shouldn't be seen as teachers but rulers as they tower in both height and power compared to the humans. The Giants that shared Cronus's view pledged their allegiance to him while those that shared Prometheus stayed with the latter.

### Gigantomachy

After the war in Heaven and the fall of Adam and Eve, the Giants - especially Prometheus - were told by Heaven to stay away from the humans while they repaired the mess that Lucifer made. However, the Giants had problems of their own as they would be locked in a cosmic struggle with their own children which was mainly instigated by Cronus as the latter feared his rule over the Earth would be taken over by one of his children. Prometheus took no part in the war even if his fellow Giants would pay the price and managed to take his lover Gertrud away from all the chaos. The descendants of the Giants - now calling themselves gods - took over the status quo that the Giants originally set in though Prometheus was spared as they did not perceive him as a threat.

### Imprisonment

Prometheus saw Adam and Eve struggle during their time on Earth while succumbing to their mortality. Concerned that Eve is already pregnant, along with there being dangerous creatures that roam the Earth, and that the nights in the desert would be cold, Prometheus gave fire to the couple in hopes that it would keep them warm in the cold desert nights and even created a two-headed dog named Orthrus to protect them. Prometheus, even though this could invoke God and Heaven's ire, couldn't care less about what happens to him as he believed that Adam, Eve, and their descendants have a very special place in grand order of things and he wants them to move forward to fulfill it. This sparked a close friendship between the three.

Prometheus was also involved in the sacrificial offerings to God and the gods with a little 'g'. The gods decided to have sacrificial offerings be presented to them just as Cain and Abel did to the Big Man but they would selfishly hoard the nutritious parts of the offerings while humans barely get anything back. Angered by this, Prometheus decided to play a trick on the gods; he placed two sacrificial offerings before them: a selection of beef hidden inside an ox's stomach (nourishment hidden inside a displeasing exterior), and the bull's bones wrapped completely in "glistening fat" (something inedible hidden inside a pleasing exterior). The gods chose the latter, setting a precedent for future sacrifices. Henceforth, humans would keep that meat for themselves and burn the bones wrapped in fat as an offering to the gods. The gods were enraged by this trickery so much they bound Prometheus with chains and sent an eagle to eat his immortal liver every day, which then grew back every night.

Prometheus, like some of his fellow Giants, would have the last laugh as it was later revealed that he conceived a son with Gertrud. That son is none other than Loki himself who went on to consort with Delphyne, a child of Typhon and Tiamat, who then produced monstrous children whom would become a bane to the gods themselves.

## Trivia

* Prometheus's story in the *Divine Comedy* mirrors that of his mythological counterpart of the same name.
	+ Though whereas in Greek mythology he stole fire from Mount Olympus, Prometheus stealthily swiped fire from Uriel's sword after she set it down to take a quick nap from reading the guidelines to guarding Eden.
* Prometheus is revealed to be Cain and Abel's godfather.
* Prometheus has a brother named Epimetheus who was said to be short sighted and "forgets to think" at times in Prometheus's own words.
* It is strongly hinted that Noah may also be Prometheus's son. This connection stems from the fact that Noah was known as Deucalion by the Greeks who in Greek mythology was a son of Prometheus that survived the Flood.