Prometheus Bound
Also known as: Prometheus Desmotes, Prometheus Vinctus
Prometheus, punished by Zeus for giving fire and arts to humankind, is bound on a remote crag. Visited by gods and mortals, he foretells future events—including his own release—while defying Zeus’ new order.
Description
Set on a bleak Scythian or Caucasian crag, the play dramatizes the binding of Prometheus for stealing fire and bestowing crafts upon humankind. Kratos (Power) and Bia (Force) compel Hephaestus to rivet the Titan to the rock. Oceanus and a chorus of Oceanids lament his fate; the wandering maiden Io arrives, and Prometheus recounts her sufferings and prophesies her lineage in Egypt. He catalogs the skills he granted people—numbers, letters, medicine, navigation, and more—framing his rebellion as compassion for the fragile human lot. Hermes, as Zeus’ envoy, demands Prometheus reveal a secret that threatens Zeus’ rule: a prophesied union that would birth a son stronger than his father. Prometheus refuses, asserting knowledge and endurance over tyranny. The drama closes with cataclysm as earth and thunder swallow the defiant Titan, prefiguring his eventual liberation by Heracles and the reshaping of divine power.
Historiography
The play’s authorship has been questioned since the 19th century, with linguistic, metrical, and ideological arguments marshaled both against and for Aeschylean origin; many still accept traditional ascription. It likely belonged to a Prometheia trilogy with the lost Prometheus Unbound and Prometheus Fire-Bearer. The text survives via medieval manuscripts and scholia, with significant interpretation by ancient and modern commentators. Its reception influenced Romantic-era reimaginings (e.g., Shelley) and ongoing debates about tyranny, technology, and the rights of humanity.
Date Notes
Traditionally ascribed to Aeschylus and dated to the mid–5th century BCE; authorship and precise date are disputed by modern scholarship, with proposals ranging from early to late 5th century.
Major Characters
- Prometheus
- Zeus
- Io
- Hermes
- Hephaestus
- Oceanus
- Chorus of Oceanids
- Kratos
- Bia
Myths
- Prometheus’ Theft of Fire
- The Binding on the Caucasus
- Io’s Wanderings Foretold
- Prophecy of Prometheus’ Release
Facts
- The action takes place on a remote crag in Scythia or the Caucasus, where Prometheus is fettered.
- Kratos and Bia force Hephaestus to bind Prometheus at Zeus’ command.
- Prometheus claims credit for numerous human arts, including writing, medicine, and navigation.
- Io arrives in bovine madness, and her lineage toward Egypt and Epaphus is prophesied.
- Zeus never appears onstage; Hermes serves as his envoy.
- Prometheus withholds a secret about a union that could overthrow Zeus.
- The play ends with thunder and an earthquake that swallow Prometheus into the depths.
- Heracles is foretold as the future liberator of Prometheus.
- Authorship and dating are disputed; many still ascribe the play to Aeschylus.
- The drama likely formed part of a Prometheia trilogy with two lost companion plays.