Fair Warning

A nice story about a painting lost and found got me reading a bit about the characters depicted. I'm a little suspicious of the word 'masterpiece' - it looks somewhat cartoonish in the news pictures. I like the pragmatism of the museum director who thinks its sheer size makes it impressive in a country (Greece) where most buildings aren't big enough for large paintings

Promethius was a Titan. The Titans were the original supreme deities but they were overthrown by their descendants, the Olympians, headed by Zeus. Some deposed Titans were nevertheless tolerated in the divine realm - they were family after all

Promethius famously stole the secret of fire from the Olympians and gave it to humanity. This is a hugely symbolic act. Fire is seen as the precursor of scientific knowledge, technology and civilization itself. You could see this as a parallel with the Judeo-Christian story of the Garden of Eden and the fruit of the tree of knowledge

For his betrayal, Zeus had Promethius bound to a mountain top, with an eagle perpetually eating his liver - gnawing at his emotions, if you will - which is where this picture comes in. Satan being merely cast out of heaven for his disobedience got it relatively easy!

Heracles (Hercules) - him with the bow - was in the middle of his labours, looking for a garden of magic Golden Apples that were a wedding gift to his father Zeus from Zeus's wife, Hera. Heracles is an illegitimate son and Hera hated him as a symbol of the betrayal, so you can see there is a lot going on here. Heracles got wind that Promethius had special knowledge of how to get hold of the apples, so he killed the eagle and did a deal with Promethius (after wisely talking his dad round) - tell me what you know and I'll set you free

Promethius got a sort of conditional discharge, with a shackle keeping him forever close to the mountain. More effective than the tags that our privatised prison system uses - which do not fit some people to whom they are assigned, so they have to be returned to prison

Who was wisest about what humankind can handle, Zeus or Promethius? You sometimes wonder

'There ain't no doubt in no one's mind
That love's the finest thing around
Whisper something soft and kind
And hey, babe, the sky's on fire'

...sings James Taylor (Carolina in my Mind) in the nostalgia-fest documentary currently on the BBC.

'If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing' wrote the biblical Paul

The red sky was an accurate prediction: rain, wind and cold all day. A great day for catching up with blips and your kind comments