Mythical Fiction
3 min
Zeus’s Pride and Prejudice
Nhi Khieu
On Olympus live the Olympian gods, all-powerful and important, though they never get along quite well, with one petty feud after another. To them, since their divinity prevents them from ever rotting away, like any other mortal, they simply have the time and essence of forever to resolve any complications in their immortal lives, which if you think about, it truly is a luxury that you and I do not currently possess.
Mortals, however, are not that lucky. Once they die, their souls go down into the Underworld and are sent down one of three paths as the judges see fit, most wandering endlessly in the Fields of Asphodel. In exceptional cases, some can go to Elysium if they are exceptionally a good person, like a hero. On the other hand, if they were evil to the bone, the Fields of Punishment would serve as their punishment.
Now, to us, the Olympic gods are ingrates and narcissistic, accompanied by a god complex (which they are gods, so it is not unexpected in their personalities).
***
I have never been as calculating and wise as my brother, but I was nonetheless one of the wisest immortals by Zeus. My dear brother was the reason I wasn't cast down to Tartarus as the rest of my kind after the war.
Come to think of it, my brother has saved me many times from my mistakes due to my idiotic eagerness. Once, Zeus tasked us with creating life on Earth. I immediately started, giving animals gifts of flight, swimming, claws, size, and scales. When I came around to the human race, I couldn't come up with gifts for them. I couldn't give them wings, let them breathe underwater, nor give them a bear-sized body with sharp claws for them to swipe at enemies.
I begged my brother to help me and he agreed. He gave the human race gifts that I couldn't think of. The humans sculpted of clay were almost godlike, with the ability to walk like a god and with the ability to reason. Prometheus's gifts were truly the best rewarded to the human race.
Zeus disapproved of my brother's envisionment of humans so he made them dependent on Olumpus' residents. It seemed that was the moment a feud occurred between Zeus and my brother.
***
"Epimetheus," my brother said. He was watching Hephaestus's workshop from afar.
"Yes, Prometheus?" I replied. He seemed to be planning something. Of what he was planning, I didn't know.
"Can you promise me something?" he asked.
"I'm sure I could, what is it that you want me to promise?"
"Brother, no matter what, never accept gifts from Zeus. Can you promise that?"
"Yes... but, Prometheus, why? What are you planning?"
"You need not to worry about my plans. As for the gifts, I'm certain I have severely wounded Zeus's pride so he will retaliate for that."
I nodded my understanding and went on my day.
***
My brother was tasked with assisting humans in coming up with a method of sacrifice. I was standing near him as Zeus was considering a choice between two bowls. One was covered in entrails of the ox while the other was covered in glistening fat. The latter seemed very appealing so I was sure Zeus would choose the one with the fat.
As I have predicted, he chose the fat-filled bowl. His eyes brimmed with fury as he surveyed what was inside. "HOW DARE YOU!" Zeus said.
At his fury, I flinched, but Prometheus just stood there with a blank and calm expression. "It was your choice, Zeus," my brother replied, unfazed.
"Yes, through your tricks."
"I wouldn't call it that, Zeus."
"If you care about humans so much, how about I take away their fire, hm?"
"You know they can't live without it, Zeus."
"Who am I to care, Prometheus?"
And so it was. Zeus removed one of the most essential elements of human civilization. For the next few days, my brother watched as the human race slowly descended into chaos and almost collapsed.
This was an entry for a writing contest held in conjunction with Center for Fiction and The Decameron Project
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