In the conflict between Cronus and Zeus, Prometheus had adopted the cause of the Olympian deities. To him and his brother Epimetheus was now committed the office of making man and providing him and all other animals with the faculties necessary for their preservation. Epimetheus proceeded to bestow upon the different animals the various gifts of courage, strength, swiftness, and sagacity. Taking some earth and kneading it with water, Prometheus made man in the image of the gods. He gave him an upright stature. Then since Epimetheus had been so prodigal of his gifts to other animals that no blessing was left worth conferring upon the noblest of creatures, Prometheus ascended to heaven, lighted his torch at the chariot of the sun, and brought down fire. But it was only rather grudgingly that Zeus granted mortals the use of fire.
Then there came the occasion that when gods and men were in dispute at Sicyon concerning the prerogatives of each, Prometheus, by an ingenious trick, attempted to settle the question in favor of man. Dividing into two portions a sacrificial bull, he wrapped all the eatable parts in the skin, cunningly surmounted with uninviting entrails; but the bones he garnished with a plausible mass of fat. He then offered Zeus his choice. The king of Heaven, although he perceived the intended fraud, took the heap of bones and fat, and forthwith availing himself of this insult as an excuse for punishing mankind, deprived the race of fire. But Prometheus regained the treasure, stealing it from Heaven in a hollow tube.
By Zeus' order Prometheus was chained to a rock on Mount Caucasus, and subjected to the attack of an eagle which, for ages, preyed upon his liver, yet succeeded not in consuming it. In his steadfastness to withstand the torment the Titan was supported by the knowledge that in the thirteenth generation there should arrive a hero, sprung from Zeus himself, to release him. And in fullness of time the hero did arrive: none other than the mighty Hercules. He killed the eagle and set Prometheus free. Hercules utters these words to the Titan ——
The soul of man can never be enslaved
Save by its own infirmities, nor freed
Save by its very strength and own resolve
And constant vision and supreme endeavor!
You will be free? Then, courage, O my brother!
O let the soul stand in the open door
Of life and death and knowledge and desire
And see the peaks of thought kindle with sunrise!
Then shall the soul return to rest no more,
Nor harvest dreams in the dark field of sleep -
Rather the soul shall go with great resolve
To dwell at last upon the shining mountains
In liberal converse with the eternal stars.
在克洛诺斯反对宙斯的斗争中，普罗米修斯站在奥林帕斯山诸神这边。之后塑造人和赋予人和其他所有动物以生存本领的任务就交给了他和他的弟弟厄庇墨透斯。厄庇墨透斯将勇敢、力气、快速、伶俐等天赋分别赐予各种动物。普罗米修斯则用土和水揉成了泥，照着神的模样捏出了人;他使人呈站立的姿势。厄庇墨透斯把各种天资都慷慨地赠予了其他动物，竟没有剩下什么像样的天赋能赐给最崇高的被造物了。於是米修斯升到天上，在太阳马车那里点燃了一只火把，将火送到地上来。可是宙斯却是不大乐意允准人们用火的。有一次，神和人在锡西昂对各自的权限争执不休，普罗米修斯耍了一个聪明的计谋，企图使问题的解决对人类有利。他把一头献祭用的牛分成两份，把所有可食用的部分包在牛皮里，并狡滑地在上面摆满不讨人喜欢的内脏;把骨头用一层肥脂裹起来，看上去像是好肉。然后他让宙斯挑选.天国之王看穿了他的计谋，但还是挑了那堆骨头和肥膘，从而利用这一侮辱为藉口剥夺人类用火的权利。但是普罗米修斯用一根空心管子从天府偷盗火种，再次取得了宝贵的天火。
为此，宙斯下令将普罗火修斯锁在高加索山上的一块绝岩峭壁上，成年累月地受着一只老鹰的折磨，它天天啄食他的肝，却总不把它吃光。这位泰坦巨人坚忍不拔地忍受着煎熬，因为他知道在第十三代时就会有一个英雄，宙斯的亲儿子，来解救他。时刻一到英雄真的来了，他不是别人，就是那个大力士海克力斯。他杀了老鹰，解放了普罗米修斯。
赫拉克勒斯向提坦巨人说：
人的灵魂永远不能被征服——-
除非自身变得脆弱;也永远不能得解放——-
除非自身充满决心和力量，以及
不稍亏的目光和无以复加的努力!
想自由吗?那就鼓起勇气，我的兄弟!
啊!让灵魂站在生与死，知与欲
敞开的门扉前，
见到旭日点燃思想的顶峰!
那时灵魂再不会依然故态，
或在黑色的睡乡中收获梦幻——-
灵魂将迈着坚定的步伐
直上光芒万丈的山巅
和不落的群星自由交谈。
