12. Prometheus created man and gifted man fire; an enraged Greek Zeus bound and tortured Prometheus by having his liver pecked out by a vulture for all eternity.
There was only vast emptiness at the beginning of this Grecian tale. The only thing in existence was a black bird named Nyx. Nyx laid a golden egg and sat upon it. After many ages, the egg hatched and Eros, the god of love, arose. One half of the broken shell rose high and became the sky. The other became the earth. Eros named the sky Uranus and the earth Gaia, and made them fall in love. From their love, came children and grandchildren, but their children became fearful of the younger generation’s power. Kronus, Gaia and Uranus’ son, swallowed all but one child, Zeus. When Zeus reached manhood, he tricked his father Kronus into spitting back up his brothers and sisters, and with the help of his siblings, defeated Kronus.
With the release of the younger gods, there remained only two things missing: animals and human beings. Zeus instructed his two sons Prometheus and Epimetheus to descend to earth and created man, animals and give them each a gift. Prometheus set forth to create man and Epimetheus began to create animals. As Epimetheus completed each animal, he gave them a gift. When it was time for Prometheus to bestow a gift to his completed man, Epimetheus informed Prometheus he had already used all of the gifts. Despite it being forbidden, Prometheus gifted man with fire, a gift only intended for the gods themselves. Zeus became furious that such a gift had been given to man and punished Prometheus. He was to be bound and tortured for the rest of eternity.