lectureCreationofMortals课件.pptVIP

Lecture 3 Creation of Mortals, Prometheus/ Pandora/Flood Versions of Creation Story Version 1. A task delegated by the gods to Prometheus and his brother Epimetheus.a. Epimetheus gave out all the best gifts to animals – strength,  swiftness, courage, shrewd cunning, fur, feathers, wings,  shells, etc. b. Prometheus created man, thinking out a way to make  mankind superior: a nobler shape than animals, upright like  gods (in the image of the gods ), bringing fire down to them  from heaven as a protection to them far better than anything  else animals had been endowed with. c. Woman was made by Zeus and sent to Prometheus and  Epimetheus as punishment for their presumption of  stealing fire from heaven and for man’s accepting the gift of  fire.  Lecture 3 Creation of Mortals, Prometheus/ Pandora/Flood Version 2. Gods themselves created men: five races: golden, silver, brass (bronze/ brazen), hero, and iron.a. golden race: mortal, living like gods without sorrow,  far from toil and pain; age of innocence and  happiness; truth and right prevailing; perpetual  spring; earth yielding food without man’s  labour; after death turning into pure spirits and  beneficent guardians of mankind.b. silver race: very inferior to the first, with little  intelligence, could not keep from injuring each other;  year divided into seasons; men needed houses  (caves) to dwell in; farming necessary for harvest; after dying,  spirits did not live on.  Lecture 3 Creation of Mortals, Prometheus/ Pandora/Flood c. brass race: terrible men, immensely strong, lovers of war and violence, not altogether wicked; d. Race of heroes: following brass race was a race of godlike heroes fighting glorious wars and taking great adventures that epics sing of. e. Iron race: that which is now upon the earth; living in evil times with evil nature; crime bursting in like a flood; no modesty, truth, and honour