Prometheus Bound

Aeschylus (c.525–c.456 BC), translated by Theodoridis, G., (contributor-contact-email)

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Aeschylus’ Prometheus Bound, composed between 479 and 424 BC, is a Greek tragedy centred on the Titan Prometheus, who defies Zeus by providing fire and knowledge to humanity. For this act, Zeus condemns him to be chained to a rock in Scythia, where the play begins. The opening scene features Prometheus being shackled by Kratos and Bia, symbolizing brute force and violence, with Hephaestus’ reluctant assistance.

The play explores themes of power, resistance, and divine justice, with Prometheus enduring his punishment while prophesying Zeus’s eventual downfall. He is visited by a chorus of Oceanus’ daughters and the Titan Oceanus himself, who advise Prometheus to yield to Zeus. Prometheus, however, remains defiant. Io, a mortal woman transformed into a heifer and tormented by Hera, then encounters Prometheus. Their shared suffering under Zeus’s tyranny is highlighted, with Prometheus revealing Io’s future and his own eventual liberation.

The play concludes dramatically with Hermes demanding Prometheus reveal a secret that threatens Zeus’s rule. Prometheus refuses, leading to a catastrophic climax where he is further punished by Zeus. The play ends with a display of Zeus’s might and Prometheus’s unyielding spirit.

Author Details

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Theodoridis, G.,

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