The myth of 
Prometheus is a foundational narrative in Greek mythology, centered on the Titan's act of defiance against 
Zeus.
After Prometheus tricked the king of the gods during a sacrifice, Zeus withheld 
fire from humanity to keep them in a primitive state. In a bold act of rebellion, Prometheus stole the divine flame, smuggling it to Earth in a hollow fennel stalk to empower human civilization. As retribution, Zeus ordered Prometheus to be chained to a rock in the 
Caucasus Mountains, where an eagle was sent to consume his liver daily.
This suffering is famously depicted in works like 
Prometheus Bound (Thomas Cole). The consequences of the theft extended to all of humanity through the creation of 
Pandora, who introduced toil and suffering to the world.
The Titan's torment eventually ended through the intervention of the hero 
Heracles, who slew the eagle. The primary accounts of these events are preserved in the works of 
Hesiod, specifically in the 
Theogony and 
Works and Days.
