It's no secret that, in most cases, many of the main characters we meet in Greek mythology share some similarities, as well as differences from one another. others. This idea particularly applies to Prometheus in “Aeschylus” “Prometheus Bound” and Heracles from “Heracles and Heraclides” by Apollodorus. At first glance, you might think that these two notable characters are very different from each other. However, this would only be a superficial interpretation of the two characters. For example, one similarity is that both characters suffered greatly at the hands of the gods. Prometheus still had to be tortured for an eternity by constantly having his liver pecked out by an eagle as it grew back. Heracles was cursed by Hera who even went so far as to attempt to murder him when he was very young. Later in his life, she caused him to go into a fit of madness that resulted in the death of his wife and children, forcing him to do some work. Another obvious similarity is that both Prometheus and Heracles helped humanity. Prometheus sacrificed his freedom and his body in exchange for a better life for mortals. His love for humanity outweighed his love for himself, making him very selfless. He helped humanity by stealing the flame we now know as the Flame of Prometheus from Zeus, giving it to humanity despite knowing Zeus would be outraged by his actions. It goes without saying that the importance of fire in our current society is no secret. We could even go so far as to say that it is still a necessary aspect of our lives today. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get Original Essay In the days of old people, fire was used for cooking, to keep warm, to light the darkness and so on. Needless to say, fire is a very important element. However, what the flame represented is infinitely more significant. As we know, the flame of Prometheus also represents technology as well as progress. In his own words he proclaims in the text: “I will tell you this, not to blame men, but to explain the benevolence of my gift. For men, in the beginning, had eyes but did not see in vain; they had ears but could not hear. I will tell you this, not to blame men, but to explain the benevolence of my gift. For men, in the beginning, had eyes but did not see in vain; they had ears but could not hear. Like the dream forms that they dragged through their long lives and treated all things with perplexity and confusion, they did not know how to build brick houses to face the sun, they did not know how to work with wood. They lived like swarming ants in holes dug in the ground, in the sunless caves of the earth. Needless to say, throughout Prometheus Bound, Prometheus is depicted as a highly intelligent being with the gift of foresight for the future. Prometheus declares: “Oh woe is me! I groan for the present sorrow, I groan for the sorrow to come,” hinting to us that he sees a bleak future. Prometheus loves humanity very much, so once he discovered that Zeus intended to destroy humanity, Prometheus felt obligated to help save them. Prometheus gave humanity great inspiration in architecture, mathematics, navigation, agriculture and much more. It has influenced humans so much that it could even be argued that it is the very foundation of human culture and civilization and that it playeda major role in the development of humanity. Similarly to Prometheus, Heracles also benefited humanity, but in a different way. In his journey to becoming immortal, Hercules also benefited people. During his 12 arduous labors, he defeated a large number of monsters and tyrants, bringing order, justice, and even a form of peace to the people. In his second work he defeated the Lernaean Hydra which was known to frequently destroy villages, countrysides and take livestock. Hercules also killed a tyrant named Bousiris, who often caught unsuspected strangers brutally sacrificing them to Zeus. Based on what we have discussed so far, we can infer that Prometheus as well as Hercules are very brave. In Prometheus' case, he is brave because he knows the past and the future, but he would be afraid to change and does not fear the absolute power of Zeus alongside humanity. In contrast, Hercules demonstrated his bravery, courage, and cunning by defying the beasts and completing his labors. In conclusion, both characters are benefactors of humans and humanity as a whole. When it comes to their differences, Prometheus and Hercules are different in two main ways. First of all, Prometheus and Hercules are very different when it comes to their identities. Prometheus is not human, in fact he was part of an immortal and powerful race known as the Titans. This means he is part of an immortal race. Moreover, this Prometheus was already revered by people, while Hercules was not. Heracles is a demigod born from the union of a god and a human. For Hercules to be immortal, he had to perform works. Hercules had to complete 12 labors to gain the faith and trust of the people. It was only after the work was completed that Heracles could be immortalized physically and in the eyes of the people. The second major difference between the two lies in the god's attitude towards them. When Prometheus betrayed Zeus by disobeying and deceiving him, Zeus punished him with little or no mercy. Although Prometheus once helped Zeus when it came to destroying Krone. In short, it goes without saying that Prometheus received a much harsher punishment than he was supposed to. This is partly because Zeus favored other gods over Prometheus, clearly demonstrating that he did not like him. The moment Prometheus betrayed Zeus, he was considered a traitor by all the other gods and goddesses, causing him to be ostracized by them. Hercules, however, shows us another side of the gods and goddesses. Although Hera didn't like him at all, the other gods and goddesses clearly favored him. When Hercules was young, Hera tried to have him killed by sending him two snakes. However, he managed to kill both snakes when he was only eight months old. Obviously, for him to have achieved such a feat, it would not have been possible without the help of Zeus. As we already knew in ancient Greece, it was very important to worship the gods and never challenge them. For if people ever challenged and offended them, the gods would often punish them quickly and strictly. The punishment can also last for generations, creating heretical curses. This means that the curse will be inherited by the next generation. Hercules, throughout his twelve labors, did a number of things that would certainly offend the gods. Like killing Cycnus, the son of Aeries, who challenged Heracles to a duel. As well as killing not one but more than four sons of Poseidon. Needless to say, if anyone else had done this, they would have been greatly punished by the gods. During his third labor, Hercules even went so far as to put Atriums in.