A pagan suckled in a creed outworn;
So might I, standing on this pleasant lea,
Have glimpses that would make me less forlorn;
Have sight of Proteus rising from the sea,
Or hear old Triton blow his wreathèd horn.
Wordsworth
Gods and Heroes
Chapter I
Prometheus
Zeus (Jupiter), the mighty divinity, overcame the Titans[1] and became the master of the heavens and the earth. But notwithstanding his hard struggle, he would not have been victor had not Prometheus, the Titan, aided him. At last Zeus, ruler in the skies, became the enemy of Prometheus, who originated the hated race of the Titans, and only awaited an opportunity to punish him. He soon found the opportunity, for Prometheus was attached to mankind, whom Zeus intended to destroy, in order to people the earth with a race of older creation. Prometheus endeavored to dissuade him, but Zeus persisted in his purpose. Then Prometheus said: “Have you forgotten that the curse of the dethroned Cronus[2] rests upon you and that by the decrees of destiny a mortal only can deliver you from that curse?”
When Zeus heard this, he decided to spare the race of mortals. They were leading a wretched life and were unconscious of the spiritual or intellectual gifts conferred upon them by their creator. They knew not how to fell the trees and build houses to protect them against wind, rain, and the heat of the sun. Like the beasts, they lived in dens and caves which no ray of light penetrated. They knew none of the signs of the approach of the fruit-bringing Autumn, nor of Winter, nor blooming Spring. Destitute of purpose or perception, they lived like strangers in a barren world.