Prometheus and Io Prometheus and Io Prometheus gave

Prometheus and Io

Prometheus and Io • Prometheus gave the gift of fire to men and the result was him being bounded in chains at the mountain of Caucacus. • While he was there, a heifer awkwardly came up the mountain. • It immediately started saying how she was getting tired of wandering around. • He recognized her instantly. It was a girl named Io.

Prometheus and Io • Then, Io told him her story. She was sleeping one night and then Zeus came up to her in her dreams and said that he fell in love with her. • Fearing Hera would do something horrible to her, he wrapped the Earth with clouds. • Hera was suspicious so she ordered for the clouds to go away.

Prometheus and Io • Zeus had to act quickly so he turned Io into a heifer. • Once Hera saw the heifer standing next to Zeus, Zeus came up with an excuse that it was the first time he saw the animal. • Hera again had a suspicion that it was too beautiful to be a heifer so she asked Zeus to give it to her as a present.

Prometheus and Io • Zeus was reluctant to give it to her but did it anyways. • Then Hera gave her into the charge of Argos, the hundred-eyed monster. • Zeus sent Hermes to kill Argos. • Io thought that she was free but Hera sent a gad-fly after her.

Prometheus and Io • Prometheus tried to comfort her and can only say what lied ahead. The most important consolation was she will turn back into human form by Zeus once she reached the Nile. • Bore a son named Epaphus and one of her descendants would be Hercules. allusion: Victor and Frankenstein

Europa

Europa • Like Io, Zeus fell in love with Europa once he laid his eyes on her. • One day, she and her companions went to the meadow to gather some flowers. • Oddly enough, her basket shows the story of Io, her journeys and her transformation. • When Aphrodite saw how Zeus was deeply infatuated by her, she sent his son Cupid to shot an arrow at Zeus’ heart.

Europa • He transformed into a bull and came down to Earth. • He was not like any other bull so the girls were not afraid to go near him. • He gestured Europa to ride on his back and ran away once she did it, not giving the other girls to ride on him. • Europa was afraid he will take her to a strange place but he assured her that he was Zeus and he will take care of her.

Europa • They got married in Crete and she bore two sons, Minos and Rhadamanthus, of whom were rewarded to be the judges of the dead. allusion: Zeus named the continent Europe after Europa

Higher-level questions: 1. What are the similarities and differences between Io and Europa? 2. In your opinion, do the gods deserve to be called gods when they themselves bring misfortune to humans? 3. What would you do in Zeus’ place if Hera caught you cheating? Will you lie about it or will you actually tell the truth?