Prometheus Timeline and Summary
- Some gods chain Prometheus to a rock. This isn't starting out well for our intrepid hero.
- Prometheus complains for a while, and then the Chorus shows up to feel sorry for him.
- It's okay: Zeus won't be able to lord it over him forever, because Prometheus knows the future.
- At the urging of the Chorus, Prometheus tells a long story about the war between the Titans (the old gods) and the Olympians (the new gods).
- It wraps up with Prometheus explaining that he gave mortals medicine and technology, and mining, and a little thing called "hope"—and, oh yeah, fire.
- This blows the Chorus's mind, and the agree to listen to Prometheus prophesy.
- Hey-o! Here comes Oceanus, the Chorus's dad. He volunteers to help out Prometheus, but Prometheus rejects the offer since it would mean sucking up to Zeus.
- The Chorus sings and dances for a while, and then chats with Prometheus about miserable humanity some more.
- When Io in cow-form charges on stage, Prometheus volunteers to tell her future. It's pretty grim, but not as bad as Prometheus's.
- Also, one of Io's descendants is going to be the guy to free Prometheus. Go, Io!
- And then, another visitor appears: Hermes, who's come to get Prometheus to reveal Zeus's eventual downfall. He's obviously unsuccessful. After a little earth-shaking, lighting-bolting, and rock-splitting, the ground opens up and Prometheus tumbles into the earth.
- Well, that went well.