Her. This, Hephaestus, is the Caucasus, to which it is our painful duty to nail our companion. We have now to select a suitable crag, free from snow, on which the chains will have a good hold, and the prisoner will hang in all publicity1.
Heph. True. It will not do to fix him too low down, or these men of his might come to their maker’s assistance; nor at the top, where he would be invisible from the earth. What do you say to a middle course? Let him hang over this precipice2, with his arms stretched across from crag to crag.
Her. The very thing. Steep rocks, slightly overhanging, inaccessible3 on every side; no foothold but a mere4 ledge5, with scarcely room for the tips of one’s toes; altogether a sweet spot for a crucifixion. Now, Prometheus, come and be nailed up; there is no time to lose.
Prom. Nay6, hear me; Hephaestus! Hermes! I suffer injustice7: have compassion8 on my woes9!
Her. In other words, disobey orders, and promptly10 be gibbeted in your stead! Do you suppose there is not room on the Caucasus to peg11 out a couple of us? Come, your right hand! clamp it down, Hephaestus, and in with the nails; bring down the hammer with a will. Now the left; make sure work of that too. — So! — The eagle will shortly be here, to trim your liver; so ingenious an artist is entitled to every attention.
Prom. O Cronus, and Iapetus, and Mother Earth! Behold12 the sufferings of the innocent!
Her. Why, as to innocence13 — to begin with, there was that business of the sacrificial meats, your manner of distributing which was most unfair, most disingenuous14: you got all the choice parts for yourself, and put Zeus off with bones ‘wrapped up in shining fat’; I remember the passage in Hesiod; those are his very words. Then you made these human beings; creatures of unparalleled wickedness, the women especially. And to crown all, you stole fire, the most precious possession of the Gods, and gave it to them. And with all this on your conscience, you protest that you have done nothing to deserve captivity15.
Prom. Ah, Hermes; you are as bad as Hector; you ‘blame the blameless.’ For such crimes as these, I deserve a round pension, if justice were done. And by the way, I should like, if you can spare the time, to answer to these charges, and satisfy you of the injustice of my sentence. You can employ your practised eloquence16 on behalf of Zeus, and justify17 his conduct in nailing me up here at the Gates of the Caspian, for all Scythia to behold and pity.
Her. There is nothing to be gained now by an appeal to another court; it is too late. Proceed, however. We have to wait in any case till the eagle comes to look after that liver of yours; and the time might be worse spent than in listening to the subtleties18 of such a master in impudence19 as yourself.
Prom. You begin then, Hermes. Exert all your powers of invective20; leave no stone unturned to establish the righteousness of papa’s judgements. — You, Hephaestus, shall compose the jury.
Heph. The jury! Not a bit of it; I am a party in this case. My furnace has been cold, ever since you stole that fire.
Prom. Well, at this rate you had better divide the prosecution21 between you. You conduct the case of larceny22, and Hermes can handle the man-making, and the misappropriation of meat. I shall expect a great deal of you; you are both artists.
Heph. Hermes shall speak for me. The law is not in my line; my forge takes up most of my time. But Hermes is an orator23; he has made a study of these things.
Prom. Well! I should never have thought that Hermes would have the heart to reproach me with larceny; he ought to have a fellow-feeling for me there. However, with this further responsibility on your shoulders, there is no time to be lost, son of Maia; out with your accusation24, and have done with it.
Her. To deal adequately with your crimes, Prometheus, would require many words and much preparation. It is not enough to mention the several counts of the accusation; how, entrusted25 with the distribution of meats, you defrauded26 the crown by retaining the choicer portions for your own use; how you created the race of men, with absolutely no justification27 for so doing; how you stole fire and conveyed it to these same men. You seem not to realize, my friend, that, all-things considered, Zeus has dealt very handsomely by you. Now, if you deny the charges, I shall be compelled to establish your guilt28 at some length, and to set the facts in the clearest possible light. But if you admit the distribution of meat in the manner described, the introduction of men, and the theft of fire — then my case is complete, and there is no more to be said. To expatiate29 further would be to talk nonsense.
Prom. Perhaps there has been some nonsense talked already; that remains30 to be seen. But as you say your case is now complete, I will see what I can do in the way of refutation. And first about that meat. Though, upon my word, I blush for Zeus when I name it: to think that he should be so touchy31 about trifles, as to send off a God of my quality to crucifixion, just because he found a little bit of bone in his share! Does he forget the services I have rendered him? And does he think what it is that he is so angry about, and how childish it is to show temper about a little thing like that? What if he did miss getting the better share? Why, Hermes, these tricks that are played over the wine-cups are not worth thinking twice about. A joke, perhaps, is carried a little too far, in the warmth of the feast; still, it is a joke, and resentment32 should be left behind in the dregs of the bowl. I have no patience with your long memories; this nursing of grievances33, this raking up of last night’s squabbles, is unworthy of a king, let alone a king of Gods. Once take away from our feasts the little elegancies of quip and crank and wile34, and what is left? Muzziness; repletion35; silence; — cheerful accompaniments these to the wine-bowl! For my part, I never supposed that Zeus would give the matter a thought the next morning; much less that he would make such a stir about it, and think himself so mightily36 injured; my little manoeuvre37 with the meat was merely a playful experiment, to see which he would choose. It might have been worse. Instead of giving him the inferior half, I might have defrauded him of the whole. And what if I had? Would that have been a case for putting heaven and earth in commotion38, for deep designs of chain and cross and Caucasus, dispatchings of eagles, rendings of livers? These things tell a sad tale, do they not, of the puny39 soul, the little mind, the touchy temper of the aggrieved40 party? How would he take the loss of a whole ox, who storms to such purpose over a few pounds of meat? How much more reasonable is the conduct of mortals, though one would have expected them to be more irritable41 than Gods! A mortal would never want his cook crucified for dipping a finger into the stew-pan, or filching42 a mouthful from the roast; they overlook these things. At the worst their resentment is satisfied with a box on the ears or a rap on the head. I find no precedent43 among them for crucifixion in such cases. So much for the affair of the meat; there is little credit to be got in the refutation of such a charge, and still less in the bringing of it.
I am next to speak of my creation of mankind. And here the terms of your accusation are ambiguous. I have to choose between two distinct possibilities. Do you maintain that I had no right to create men at all, that I ought to have left the senseless clay alone? Or do you only complain of the form in which I designed them? However, I shall have something to say on both points. I shall first endeavour to show that no harm has accrued44 to the Gods from my bringing mankind into existence; and shall then proceed to the positive advantages and improvements which have resulted to them from the peopling of the earth. The question as to the harm done by my innovation is best answered by an appeal to the past, to those days when the race of heaven-born Gods stood alone, and earth was a hideous45 shapeless mass, a tangle46 of rude vegetation. The Gods had no altars then, nor temples (for who should raise them?), no images of wood or stone, such as now abound47 in every corner of the earth, and are honoured with all observance. It was to me that the idea occurred — amid my ceaseless meditations48 on the common welfare, on the aggrandizement49 of the Gods and the promotion50 of order and beauty in the universe — of setting all to rights with a handful of clay; of creating living things, and moulding them after our own likeness51. I saw what was lacking to our godhead: some counterpart, some foil wherein to set off its blessedness. And that counterpart must be mortal; but in all else exquisitely52 contrived53, perfect in intelligence, keen to appreciate our superiority. Thereupon, I moulded my material,
With water mingling54 clay,
and created man, calling in Athene to aid me in the task. And this is my rank offence against the Gods. Destructive work — to reduce inanimate clay to life and motion! The Gods, it seems, are Gods no longer, now that there are mortal creatures on the earth. To judge at least by Zeus’s indignation, one would suppose that the Gods suffered some loss of prestige from the creation of mankind; unless it is that he is afraid of another revolt, of their waging war with heaven, like the Giants.
That the cause of the Gods suffered nothing at my hands is evident; show me the slightest instance to the contrary, and I will say no more; I have but my deserts. But for the positive benefits I have conferred, use the evidence of your eyes. The earth, no longer barren and untilled, is decked with cities and farms and the fruits of cultivation55; the sea has its ships, the islands their inhabitants. Everywhere are altars and temples, everywhere festivals and sacrifices:
Zeus with his presence fills their gatherings56, He fills their streets.
Had I created mankind for my own private convenience, it might perhaps have denoted a grasping spirit: but I made them common property; they are at the service of every God of you. Nay more: temples of Zeus, and Apollo, and Hera, temples of Hermes, are everywhere to be seen; but who ever saw a temple of Prometheus? You may judge from this, how far I have sacrificed the common cause to my private ambition.
And further. Consider, Hermes: can any good thing whatsoever57, be it gift of Nature or work of our hands, give the full measure of enjoyment58 to its possessor, when there is none to see, none to admire? You see whither my question tends? But for mankind, the glories of the universe must have been without a witness; and there was little satisfaction to be derived59 from a wealth which was doomed60 to excite no envy in others. We should have lacked a standard for comparison; and should never have known the extent of our happiness, while all were as happy as ourselves. The great is not great, till it is compared with the small. Yet instead of honouring me for my political insight, you crucify me; such are the wages of wisdom!
Ah, but (you will say) there is so much wickedness among them; adultery, war, incest, parricide61. Well, I fancy these are not unknown among ourselves? And I am sure no one would think that a reason for saying that Uranus62 and Ge made a mistake in creating us. Or again, you will complain that we have so much trouble in looking after them. At that rate, a shepherd ought to object to the possession of a flock, because he has to look after it. Besides, a certain show of occupation is rather gratifying than otherwise; the responsibility is not unwelcome — it helps to pass the time. What should we do, if we had not mankind to think of? There would be nothing to live for; we should sit about drinking nectar and gorging63 ourselves with ambrosia64. But what fairly takes away my breath is, your assurance in finding fault with my women in particular, when all the time you are in love with them: our bulls and satyrs and swans are never tired of making descents upon the Earth; women, they find, are good enough to be made the mothers of Gods!
Yes, yes (you will say), it was quite right that men should be created, but they should not have been made in our likeness. And what better model could I have taken than this, whose perfection I knew? Was I to make them brute65 beasts without understanding? Had they been other than they are, how should they have paid you due honour and sacrifice? When the hecatombs are getting ready, you think nothing of a journey to the ends of the earth to see the ‘blameless Ethiopians’; and my reward for procuring66 you these advantages is — crucifixion! But on this subject I have said enough.
And now, with your permission, I will approach the subject of that stolen fire, of which we hear so much. I have a question to ask, which I beg you will answer frankly67. Has there been one spark less fire in Heaven, since men shared it with us? Of course not. It is the nature of fire, that it does not become less by being imparted to others. A fire is not put out by kindling68 another from it. No, this is sheer envy: you cannot bear that men should have a share of this necessary, though you have suffered no harm thereby69. For shame! Gods should be beneficent, ‘givers of good’; they should be above all envy. Had I taken away fire altogether, and left not a spark behind, it would have been no great loss. You have no use for it. You are never cold; you need no artificial light; nor is ambrosia improved by boiling. To man, on the other hand, fire is indispensable for many purposes, particularly for those of sacrifice; how else are they to fill their streets with the savour of burnt-offerings, and the fumes70 of frankincense I how else to burn fat thigh-pieces upon your altars? I observe that you take a particular pleasure in the steam arising therefrom, and think no feast more delicious than the smell of roast meat, as it mounts heavenwards
In eddying71 clouds of smoke.
Your present complaint, you see, is sadly at variance72 with this taste. I wonder you do not forbid the Sun to shine on mankind. He too is of fire, and fire of a purer and diviner quality. Has anything been said to him about his lavish73 expenditure74 of your property?
And now I have done. If there is any flaw in my defence, it is for you two to refute me. I shall answer your objections in due course.
Her. Nay, you are too hard for us, Prometheus; we will not attempt a sophist of your mettle75. Well for you that Zeus is not within earshot, or you would have had a round dozen of hungry vultures to reckon with, for certain; in clearing your own character, you have grievously mishandled his. But one thing puzzles me: you are a prophet; you ought to have foreseen your sentence.
Prom. All this I knew, and more than this; for I shall be released; nay, even now the day is not far off when one of your blood shall come from Thebes, and shoot this eagle with which you threaten me 11.
Her. With all my heart! I shall be delighted to see you free again, and feasting in our midst; but not, my friend, not carving76 for us!
Prom. You may take my word for it; I shall be with you again. I have the wherewithal to pay abundantly for my ransom77.
Her. Oh, indeed? Come, tell us all about it.
Prom. You know Thetis — But no; the secret is best kept. Ransom and reward depend upon it.
Her. Well, you know best. Now, Hephaestus, we must be going; see, here comes the eagle. — Bear a brave heart, Prometheus; and all speed to your Theban archer78, who is to set a term to this creature’s activity.
F.
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1
publicity
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| n.众所周知，闻名；宣传，广告 | |
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precipice
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| n.悬崖，危急的处境 | |
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inaccessible
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| adj.达不到的，难接近的 | |
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mere
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| adj.纯粹的；仅仅，只不过 | |
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ledge
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| n.壁架，架状突出物；岩架，岩礁 | |
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nay
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| adv.不；n.反对票，投反对票者 | |
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injustice
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| n.非正义，不公正，不公平，侵犯（别人的）权利 | |
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compassion
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| n.同情，怜悯 | |
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woes
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| 困境( woe的名词复数 )； 悲伤； 我好苦哇； 某人就要倒霉 | |
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promptly
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| adv.及时地，敏捷地 | |
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peg
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| n.木栓，木钉；vt.用木钉钉，用短桩固定 | |
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behold
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| v.看，注视，看到 | |
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innocence
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| n.无罪；天真；无害 | |
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disingenuous
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| adj.不诚恳的，虚伪的 | |
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15
captivity
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| n.囚禁；被俘；束缚 | |
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16
eloquence
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| n.雄辩；口才，修辞 | |
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17
justify
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| vt.证明…正当(或有理)，为…辩护 | |
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18
subtleties
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| 细微( subtlety的名词复数 )； 精细； 巧妙； 细微的差别等 | |
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impudence
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| n.厚颜无耻；冒失；无礼 | |
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20
invective
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| n.痛骂，恶意抨击 | |
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prosecution
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| n.起诉，告发，检举，执行，经营 | |
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larceny
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| n.盗窃（罪） | |
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orator
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| n.演说者，演讲者，雄辩家 | |
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accusation
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| n.控告，指责，谴责 | |
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25
entrusted
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| v.委托，托付( entrust的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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defrauded
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| v.诈取，骗取( defraud的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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justification
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| n.正当的理由；辩解的理由 | |
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guilt
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| n.犯罪；内疚；过失，罪责 | |
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expatiate
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| v.细说，详述 | |
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remains
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| n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹 | |
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touchy
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| adj.易怒的；棘手的 | |
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resentment
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| n.怨愤，忿恨 | |
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grievances
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| n.委屈( grievance的名词复数 )；苦衷；不满；牢骚 | |
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wile
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| v.诡计，引诱；n.欺骗，欺诈 | |
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repletion
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| n.充满，吃饱 | |
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mightily
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| ad.强烈地；非常地 | |
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manoeuvre
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| n.策略，调动；v.用策略，调动 | |
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commotion
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| n.骚动，动乱 | |
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puny
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| adj.微不足道的，弱小的 | |
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aggrieved
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| adj.愤愤不平的，受委屈的；悲痛的；（在合法权利方面）受侵害的v.令委屈，令苦恼，侵害( aggrieve的过去式)；令委屈，令苦恼，侵害( aggrieve的过去式和过去分词) | |
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41
irritable
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| adj.急躁的；过敏的；易怒的 | |
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42
filching
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| v.偷（尤指小的或不贵重的物品）( filch的现在分词 ) | |
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43
precedent
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| n.先例，前例；惯例；adj.在前的，在先的 | |
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44
accrued
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| adj.权责已发生的v.增加( accrue的过去式和过去分词 )；（通过自然增长）产生；获得；（使钱款、债务）积累 | |
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45
hideous
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| adj.丑陋的，可憎的，可怕的，恐怖的 | |
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46
tangle
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| n.纠缠；缠结；混乱；v.(使)缠绕；变乱 | |
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abound
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| vi.大量存在；(in，with)充满，富于 | |
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meditations
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| 默想( meditation的名词复数 )； 默念； 沉思； 冥想 | |
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49
aggrandizement
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| n.增大，强化，扩大 | |
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50
promotion
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| n.提升，晋级；促销，宣传 | |
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51
likeness
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| n.相像，相似（之处） | |
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52
exquisitely
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| adv.精致地；强烈地；剧烈地；异常地 | |
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53
contrived
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| adj.不自然的，做作的；虚构的 | |
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54
mingling
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| adj.混合的 | |
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55
cultivation
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| n.耕作，培养，栽培（法），养成 | |
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56
gatherings
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| 聚集( gathering的名词复数 )； 收集； 采集； 搜集 | |
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57
whatsoever
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| adv.（用于否定句中以加强语气）任何；pron.无论什么 | |
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58
enjoyment
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| n.乐趣；享有；享用 | |
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59
derived
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| vi.起源；由来；衍生；导出v.得到( derive的过去式和过去分词 )；（从…中）得到获得；源于；（从…中）提取 | |
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60
doomed
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| 命定的 | |
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61
parricide
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| n.杀父母；杀亲罪 | |
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62
Uranus
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| n.天王星 | |
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63
gorging
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| v.（用食物把自己）塞饱，填饱( gorge的现在分词 )；作呕 | |
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64
ambrosia
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| n.神的食物；蜂食 | |
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65
brute
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| n.野兽，兽性 | |
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66
procuring
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| v.（努力）取得， （设法）获得( procure的现在分词 )；拉皮条 | |
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67
frankly
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| adv.坦白地，直率地；坦率地说 | |
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68
kindling
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| n. 点火, 可燃物 动词kindle的现在分词形式 | |
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thereby
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| adv.因此，从而 | |
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70
fumes
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| n.(强烈而刺激的)气味，气体 | |
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71
eddying
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| 涡流，涡流的形成 | |
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72
variance
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| n.矛盾，不同 | |
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73
lavish
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| adj.无节制的；浪费的；vt.慷慨地给予，挥霍 | |
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74
expenditure
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| n.(时间、劳力、金钱等)支出；使用，消耗 | |
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75
mettle
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| n.勇气，精神 | |
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76
carving
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| n.雕刻品，雕花 | |
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77
ransom
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| n.赎金，赎身；v.赎回，解救 | |
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78
archer
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| n.射手，弓箭手 | |
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