The Genesis of Man.

The Hellenes believed that first men were formed from clay. The gods made mortals from earth and fire and charged the Prometheus and Epimetheus, sons of the Titan Lapetos, with their embellishment. The work was undertaken by Epimetheus, who gave strength to some animals, to others speed, and to others dense fur, thick skin, hoofs or nails. However as these had been indiscriminate and there had been no sense behind it nothing remained for man. When Prometheus came to examine this distribution he was startled by the nakedness and rudeness of man. Deciding to help he went to Hephaestos and stole fire giving it to man. Zeus who was furious at this punished him by binding him to a stake in the Caucasus and every morning an eagle came to gnaw at his liver. This carried on for thirty years until he was rescued by Herakles. It is believed that Prometheus was not only a benefactor of men, but also their creator- not only because he was the father of Deucalion but because he fashioned the first man with his own hands, Zeus was so angry with Prometheus for stealing the fire and also with man for accepting it that he charged Hephaestos to make a women out of earth and water and called upon the goddesses to furnish her with gifts. He sent this woman, whom he called Pandora to Epimetheus along with a clay jar which was to remain closed forever. Epimetheus married Pandora and they lived very happily until Pandora was over come with desire and she opened the jar. Out flew all the calamities such as war, diseases, death and unhappiness. Even though she hastened to close the jar all that remained inside was hope.

The five human races of Hesiod.

The gods created five races, each following on the destruction of the other. The first was the Golden Age which was blessed and existed in happiness. They were followed by the Silver Age but because they were without intelligence and did not revere the gods they provoked the wrath of Zeus who wiped them out and replaced them with the Brazen age. Being no better than the Silver Age they invented weapons and war so were thus destroyed. Next came the Heroic Age to which belonged the heros of the Trojan War and those of Thebes who lived for eternity in the islands of the Blest. The final race was that of the Iron Age. to which Hesiod himself belonged. They were condemned because of impiety nand corruption to exist amidst torments and worries.

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