Practical Mythology, 1/18/12, Period 2, [Class Session 3]

[olympian-herc.livejournal.com]

Hercules' class met in the Danger Shop again, this time in a glorious simulation of... a spring meadow, with grass and other small plant life for as far as the eye could see.

And then, there were twelve seemingly giant figures behind the teacher. They were as still as statues, as Hercules didn't want to make them react like the real Titans.

"Last week I introduced the gods, at least briefly. I promise this week I will not burst into song. These giants behind me are the first twelve Titans, who predate the gods you met last week. They are not the very first, that honor belongs to Ouranos and Gaea, the father and mother of the titans specifically. They would also be the original gods of the sky and the earth. But I am digressing."

"The titans took over Olympus when Cronus," Herc pointed at one of the still simulated Titans, "the youngest of them killed their father at the behest of their mother. But their father with his dying breath said that one of Cronus' own sons would eventually overthrow him." Hercules chuckled.

"Cronus is a jerk, by the way. The titans are mainly jerks. They considered themselves perfection and were not happy when most of their kids decided they wanted to take over. Which was sort of a theme with the races of Olympus. The real lesson here, however, is about a Titan not part of this initial twelve. His name is Prometheus, and he was probably the first hero in history."

Hercules pressed a button on a remote control, and the simulation changed to a cliffside, with a figure chained to it.

"This is Prometheus. He sided with Zeus during Zeus' overthrow of the other Titans, so he was not imprisoned in Tartarus along with many of the other Titans. Instead, he was allowed to go about his business... at least until he decided to take a certain gift down to the mortal people of Earth. That gift was fire. And because he gave this important and powerful gift to mere mortals, Zeus freaked out and had Prometheus chained upon a rock." He gestured over to poor Prometheus. "Where he would remain for all eternity, a great bird coming each day to eat his liver. And yes, his liver would grow back every day."

Hercules shuddered. "Though he did not spend eternity there, as a certain dashing hero eventually came and shattered the chains that held Prometheus in place!" Herc grinned and pressed another button. Prometheus' chains shattered, he turned to look at Hercules, and gave him a big thumbs-up.

"But now comes the discussion question of the day," Hercules said after returning faux-Prometheus' thumbs-up. "Do you think it would be worth eternal punishment to do what you thought was right? Do you think Prometheus made the right decision?"

He clapped his hands. "Discuss. Just keep it civil. And if anyone has further questions on the Titans or anything, you can ask me."

[ooc: OCD coming up. Class is in session!]

Comments

Class Discussion!

[olympian-herc.livejournal.com]

"Do you think it would be worth eternal punishment to do what you thought was right? Do you think Prometheus made the right decision?"

[Feel free to make threads messy and interact with people in many manners!]

Re: Class Discussion!

[trickydemigod.livejournal.com]

"I think doing the right thing is worth eternal punishment, but I know saying that is easier said than done," Luke said. "I think most people would do the right thing until punishment is looking them in the face."

But Luke still did the right thing in the end when faced with eternal punishment, so there.

He rubbed the back of his neck. "...And I'm not sure if I want to put in an opinion on Prometheus. There's an unfavorable personal bias there."

Re: Class Discussion!

[olympian-herc.livejournal.com]

"You... like fire?" Hercules said, trying to figure out the personal bias.

Re: Class Discussion!

[trickydemigod.livejournal.com]

Luke really questioned the things that came out of Hercules's mouth sometimes. "The bias comes from a different matter entirely. Something way more recent."

Re: Class Discussion!

[olympian-herc.livejournal.com]

"Ah," Hercules said, unable to imagine. "Perhaps I should not ask further. But I am quite curious as to what you're referring to. Perhaps outside of class? I would not wish you to talk about something you are uncomfortable sharing, of course."

Re: Class Discussion!

[trickydemigod.livejournal.com]

Luke shrugged. "It's not that big of a deal. It's just where I'm from Prometheus has loyalty to no one but himself. He sides with whoever holds the power at the time and is quick to abandon them if someone else comes along. He probably thought mortals were the next big thing and gave them fire in hopes they wouldn't punish him when the time came. Worked for him when the Titans were overthrown."

And he went back to the Titans as soon as it looked like Kronos was winning the last war. Luke really couldn't stand cowards.

Re: Class Discussion!

[olympian-herc.livejournal.com]

"Interesting," Hercules said, thinking that Prometheus sounded like a jerk. "And not a bad examination of his character, but I would hardly say that mortals at pre-fire posed any sort of threat to the gods of Olympus. So he was... paying it forward?"

Re: Class Discussion!

[trickydemigod.livejournal.com]

"Or maybe he took a gamble on the mortals and lost." Luke didn't much feel like giving any Titan any credit considering recent circumstances.

Re: Class Discussion!

[olympian-herc.livejournal.com]

"I see," Hercules said. He paused. "So he was free of his chains in your world, too?"

[seaweed-demigod.livejournal.com]

"It's worth it but it'd hard to know if I'd go down that road until faced with it," Percy said, shrugging. "I can say Prometheus is right all day but who knows if I'd think that if I had to make his choices."

[abitlowkey]

"How far do you think you would go then?" Loki asked. "If you believed yourself in the right and there were not dire consequences."

And this conversation could only end with rainbows and puppies.

Rainbows and puppies.

[seaweed-demigod.livejournal.com]

"You don't think I've already gone far, little man?" Percy asked, raising an eyebrow. "Please, I've been to see Hades a few times."

[abitlowkey]

"Oh, do enlighten me, Poseidon-son."

[seaweed-demigod.livejournal.com]

"Why, you need a lesson?" Percy asked, looking smug. "Or you just that scared of Hades that going down there yourself would frighten you?"

[abitlowkey]

"Of your deeds, brave boy," Loki reminded him. "Hel holds no dread for me. Nor does your Hades."

Goddamn rainbows and puppies.

[seaweed-demigod.livejournal.com]

"There's just such a long list," Percy quipped, shaking his head. "I wouldn't wanna take up all the class time or anything. Besides, kicking Ares' ass isn't that much to brag about."

Or it was. Or something.

[abitlowkey]

"Luke did mention it," Loki replied. "But I could always do with being told again. An image I shall hold near and dear to my heart when Alexander is close."

They were destined to be besties.

"Though I dare say your Ares must be different from the one where I am from. He was held in high regard by brother."

Sorry, Hercules.

Re: Class Discussion!

[holy-daughter.livejournal.com]

None of this had happened in Genesis, so Lucrezia assumed these were simply parables. The framework still confused her.

"Why did he choose to give fire to the mortals?" she asked. "Did he know he would risk eternal punishment? Why would Our Lord God not spare Prometheus's soul from Hellfire?"

Perhaps she wasn't divorcing herself from her own notions of reality as much as she thought.

She realized she hadn't answered half of the question, and said, without hesitation, "I would do it for Cesare."

Re: Class Discussion!

[olympian-herc.livejournal.com]

This was where it got a little tricky, Hercules realized.

"Because they're different belief structures?" he said. "Much how Odin and the like did not spare him, either. Your God had no business with Prometheus."

This was hard to explain.

Re: Class Discussion!

[holy-daughter.livejournal.com]

Lucrezia chided herself. This parable was a mental exercise; what the Living God would do was not to be considered, here. Perhaps Prometheus had sinned gravely and refused to accept absolution.

"What love did Prometheus have for mortals, that he damned himself thus?" she asked, instead.

Re: Class Discussion!

[olympian-herc.livejournal.com]

Hercules, if able to read narrative, would wonder what exactly Lucrezia had thought when he'd introduced himself as the son of a 'mythical' god.

"That is a very good question," Hercules said. "I wish he was here to speak for himself. But I think he knew that mortals would have a much better life if they had fire. Which they did."

Re: Class Discussion!

[holy-daughter.livejournal.com]

"Agape?" she asked, musing on it. "So few would risk their souls for the many from generosity of spirit. Eros is a stronger force. He is an inspiration if his motives were so pure."

Re: Class Discussion!

[olympian-herc.livejournal.com]

"And what if his motives were just to... stick it to the gods?" Hercules asked. It was a possibility, after all.

Re: Class Discussion!

[holy-daughter.livejournal.com]

"Spite?" she asked, reconsidering her framework. "Are you suggesting he condemned his soul to eternal torment simply to cause damage to others?"

She had to admit, she had glimpsed something similarly dangerous and self-destructive in Cesare. It frightened her. Not because she cared much if the world burned, but because she would not like to see Cesare damned.

Re: Class Discussion!

[olympian-herc.livejournal.com]

"Well he hardly knew that Zeus was going to do what he did," Hercules said. "Eternal torment is pretty hard to predict. It's pretty bad stuff."