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At one time, the Titans, powerful giants, fought the Olympian gods. Titan brothers Prometheus and Epimetheus remained loyal to Zeus, who chose to reward them by having them repopulate the earth. Prometheus took great care in fashioning the mortals, longing to give them comfort and sustenance. Against Zeus’s wishes, he gave them fire and meat. After tricking Zeus, Prometheus was sentenced to continued punishment, only to be rescued by Heracles, known to the Latins as Hercules. Woven into this narrative is the story of Pandora, sent by Zeus to further punish the brothers. In this story, Pandora brings along a jug, refusing to heed Zeus’s warning to leave it closed. All the plagues of the world are released when she peeks. Only the quality of hope remains for mortals. During the medieval period, the jug was translated as a box, giving us the well-known Pandora’s box symbolizing the moment when mortals learned of all the tragedies of the world. |
