ARTWORK:
Prometheus (1827), marble. James Pradier (1790-1852), French sculptor.
In Greek mythology, the punishment of Prometheus as a consequence of the theft of fire and giving it to humans is a popular subject of both ancient and modern culture. Zeus, king of the Olympian gods, sentenced Prometheus to eternal torment for his transgression. Prometheus was bound to a rock, and an eagle—the emblem of Zeus—was sent to eat his liver. According to several major versions of the myth, Prometheus was eventually freed by the hero Heracles.
