Prometheus

“	When I took the Fires of Olympus to the mortals, Zeus considered it a betrayal. As punishment, he made me mortal and condemned me to be savagely consumed every day by this cursed bird, and then, with the fall of night, I am healed. ...How long have I been here? How long have I suffered this curse? I truly do not know... Please, Ghost of Sparta! Release me from my torment!	”
–Prometheus.

Template:Infobox godsPrometheus is a Titan. He is known as a great hero and individual of great wisdom and kindness. He stole fire from Gods and brought it to the mankind. For this he was cruelly and unfairly punished by Zeus. Zeus made Prometheus mortal and enchained him on the rocks near Lair of Typhon. Every day, a big white eagle flew to Prometheus and ate his liver, and during the night his liver regrew, and the next day the eagle returned and continued Prometheus's torture indefinitely. Prometheus was eventually freed by Kratos, when Prometheus asked Kratos to sacrifice him and end his suffering. Prometheus appears in God of War II.

Prometheus concept art.

Greek Mythology

In Greek mythology, Prometheus is a Titan whose name meant "forethought", and indeed, he was said to have the ability to look into the future. Prometheus, an archetypal "trickster"-god, is wiser than even the gods and considered a culture-hero, i.e. a helper of mankind.

He is the older brother of Atlas, who was banished to Tartarus during the Titanomachy. Prometheus, however, sided with the gods in the war against the Titans, having foreseen their victory. Helios and Epimetheus also chose to defect. In doing so, Prometheus also tried to persuade his brother Atlas and their father Iapetus to side with the Olympians, but both of them ignored his attempts.

After the Great War, Prometheus fashioned man from clay and helped them, even to the point of severely angering Zeus. It was Prometheus who gave the Fires of Olympus to the mortals after Zeus withheld it from them. As punishment however, Zeus then chained him to a mountain for an Eagle to peck out his liver only to have it regenerated through the night; this torment was to last at least 30,000 years, or until someone willingly took upon Prometheus' punishment and died as a result. Heracles eventually killed the eagle and freed Prometheus, with Chiron taking on his punishment as it was the only thing that could end his suffering. However, Prometheus then had to wear an iron ring with a chunk of the same mountain he was chained upon, to allow Zeus to brag how his enemy was (symbolically) "still shackled to the rock of Caucasus".

It was also due to his act of theft that Pandora was created and given to Prometheus' brother, Epimetheus ("afterthought"), in order to make life difficult for man and to release all the evils upon the world.

In God of War II

During Kratos' journey to the Sisters of Fate, he goes through the Lair of Typhon, a snowy mountain where the titan Typhon lives. After Typhon trapped Pegasus under his hand, Kratos needed to venture through the mountain to find a way to release it, so he could continue his journey.

He eventually finds Prometheus at a part of this mountain, enchained to the other hand of Typhon and with a big white eagle eating his liver. The bird flies away after Kratos arrives, and he dialogues with Prometheus about the reason of his torture. He tells that it was Zeus who placed him there after he gave the Fires of Olympus to the mortals, Zeus would make Prometheus mortal, and that every day the white eagle would eat his liver, only for it to be healed at night.

He asks Kratos to release him from his torment, and the Spartan manages to hit him until he falls from the hand, however his chain keeps hanging him above the Fires of Olympus. Prometheus continuously begs Kratos to kill him by burning him in the Fires, but since Kratos couldn't reach the chain to destroy it and make him fall, he continues to venture in the mountain.

After acquiring Typhon's Bane, Kratos goes back to Prometheus and shoots him and his chain, breaking the chain and making him fall. Prometheus falls on the Fires and screams of pain before finally falling dead. His ashes were taken by Kratos, giving him the fiery power of the titans, which he used to free Pegasus and continue his quest to the Sisters.

Trivia

• Prometheus was voiced by Alan Oppenheimer.
• Just like Rhea, Prometheus is much smaller than other Titans and looks more human or godlike.
• Prometheus is the brother of Atlas. In the Great War, he, along with Helios and Epimetheus sided with the gods, betraying his fellow Titans, including his brother who lead the Titans. It is unknown what Atlas', Iapetus' and Epimetheus' reaction are when they found out of Prometheus' death. Given Prometheus' betrayal, it is likely that Atlas and Iapetus are indifferent about it.
• In mythology, Prometheus sided with the Olympians because he received a prophecy from Themis that the Titans wouldn't win the war after all, because they used brute strength rather than tactics, strategies and technologies.
• According to Aeschylus' Prometheus Bound, Prometheus was shackled to his eternal torture by the mythological Greek figure Kratos (the Authority, Strength); one of the two servants of Hephaestus (the other being Bia, the Violence, Force). What makes this interesting is that in the story of God of War II, Prometheus is freed, and then killed, by Kratos, who bears both similarities (in name and physical prowess) and contradictions (allegiance to the Olympian Gods) to the mythological Kratos.
• Although Kratos has killed many a soul in the God of War series, Prometheus is one of three people who explicitly requested Kratos to kill him. The second person, was Orkos, who, chronologically speaking, was the first with this request and the third would later be Mimir in God of War (2018).
• In Greek mythology, he tries to persuade Atlas and their father, Iapetus to switch sides to the Olympians, but they refused. It is unknown if he did the same prior to the Titanomachy.
• In Greek mythology, Prometheus was freed by Hercules during one of his labors.
• It is odd that Prometheus knows so much about Kratos, seeing his isolation and torment that likely have been going for decades. This could indicate that despite being made mortal, Prometheus still possessed certain powers, allowing him to see beyond the walls of his prison.

Gallery

Related Pages

• Titans
• Fires of Olympus
• Rage of the Titans