4.2.8: Trickster Conclusion

Zeus extends his benevolence to mortals who not only honor him with their sacrifice, but who also observe and abide by the Olympian rules. While we see evidence of mortals deceiving other mortals, and gods deceiving other gods, there is sparse, if any, evidence of gods deceiving mortals. However, his intolerance of fellow immortals deceiving him is notorious. Evidence of his rage appears in the Iliad when Hera beguiles Zeus into an amorous night to distract him from Athene’s intervention in the Trojan War. Zeus rages against her, threatening to punish her as he had before: “Do you not remember that time you hung from high and on your feet I slung two anvils, and about your hands drove a golden chain, unbreakable?” (Homer Iliad 15.4). So great was his rage that none of the other Olympians could release her from this punishment. Hence, when Prometheus violates the sacred mandate of Olympian order, he stokes the prodigious fury of Zeus.

Building upon Hesiod’s version, the poet Aeschylus offers a much more psychologically evolved version of the Titan’s motives, found in the Prometheus Bound, the only surviving full text of the three plays in his Promethean cycle. The other two plays, the Prometheus Unbound and the Prometheus the Fire-Carrier, only exist in fragments and through references from subsequent authors. In the Prometheus Bound, the survival of humans is deeply personal to Prometheus, and when Zeus threatens to exterminate the entire race, Prometheus enacts his plan which earns him both the title of trickster and the enmity of Zeus. He slaughters a bull, separating the better parts, the meat and intestines into a pile covered with the hide and topped with the stomach, widely considered the worst part. In another pile, he heaps the bones and the glistening fat, making that pile appear more appealing. When he invites Zeus to select an offering–a symbolic choice that will last for eternity–the supreme god is duped into selecting the lesser pile. While Hesiod insists Zeus was not tricked, but a cooperative participant in the spectacle, Aeschylus emphasizes the philanthropic desire to bless mankind as Prometheus’ primary motivation. Thus, the Titan is elevated as a savior and Zeus is positioned as the villain, who then denies humans the necessary fire to cook the meat they have earned.

Figure \(\PageIndex{1}\): "The Theft of Fire," fresco by Christian Griepenkerl in Oldenburg. The representation of Prometheus emphasizes his deceit as a dark shadowy character who creeps toward the sacred flame, held by the sleeping figure of Zeus, whose arm rests possessively around the flame and Ganymede. (Public Domain, Wikimedia)

But Prometheus, unflustered by Zeus’ growing ire, steals fire in a fennel stalk and gifts it to humans. Zeus, not only defied and defrauded, experiences a crisis of leadership. While his power is indomitable, it isn’t infallible to deceit. In order to maintain a sense of control, he must punish the insurgent in a show that matches the offense. Being lashed to a rock where his liver is eaten by Zeus’ eagle every day, Prometheus represents the sacrificial champion, promoting him far above archetypal tricksters.

Figure \(\PageIndex{1}\): Prometheus Vase by Victor Etienne Simyan (1826–1886); decoration by Silas Rice (1821–1873). Philadelphia Museum of Art. (CC SA Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons)

Despite the cost, humans benefited greatly from the gift of fire with the ability to light their hearths and to cook meat for consumption and sustenance, thereby securing their survival.

While humans thrive, the seemingly endless stalemate between Zeus and Prometheus bears out for eons. The impasse is finally broken when Prometheus (the embodiment of forethought) reveals a prophecy that can doom or save Zeus. A male child conceived by Zeus and Thetis, daughter of the Titan Ocean, would cause his downfall. With this foresight, Zeus declines his lustful inclinations, a first for him, and weds Thetis to the moral king Peleus. Their only child will be Achilles, the greatest fighter of his age and ultimate victor in Homer’s Iliad. By offering Zeus this piece of intelligence, Prometheus extends not only a peaceful means of ending their dispute, but also an opportunity for Zeus to maintain his supremacy without losing face. However, the more significant gain comes after time with the maturity Zeus gains, transitioning from an oversexed despot to a wiser and more reasonable arbiter of justice, one who can balance the temperaments of his siblings and the many children of Olympus.