In
Greek mythology,
Prometheus ("forethought") is the
Titan who stole
fire from the
gods and brought it to mortals for their use. He further irritated
Zeus by offering the gods in settlement burnt sacrifice of the less appetizing portions of the sacrificial animals. As punishment, he was chained to a
rock in the
Caucasus where a
vulture or an
eagle named
Ethon would eat out his
liver; it would grow back each day and the vulture would eat it again. Eventually he was freed by
Heracles and returned to
Olympus. As the introducer of fire and inventor of sacrifice he is seen as the patron of human civilization. Uncertain sources claim he was worshipped in ancient
Rome.
He was the father of Deucalion with Celaeno.
The chaining of Prometheus to the rock was by some ancient writers compared to a crucifixion.
In astronomy, Prometheus is a moon of Saturn.