Meaning & use
Prometheus
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Meanings
proper nounproper
In Greek myth, a Titan who took fire from the gods and gave it to humans, and was punished for it.
Grammar: A name, so it takes no article: say 'Prometheus', not 'the Prometheus'.
Patterns
- Prometheus stole fire from the gods
- the punishment of Prometheus
In the old story, Prometheus stole fire from the gods and handed it to humankind.
Zeus chained Prometheus to a rock as a punishment that lasted for ages.
Teachers often retell the tale of Prometheus when they discuss ancient Greek myths.
proper nounproperfigurative
A person or thing seen as bringing bold new ideas or technology, often at a painful cost.
Grammar: Used figuratively; it keeps the capital letter even when it means a kind of person.
Patterns
- a Prometheus of something
- play Prometheus
Some writers call the inventor a modern Prometheus, because his work changed society but hurt his own family.
The novel presents the scientist as a Prometheus who pays dearly for his gift to the world.
proper nounpropertechnical
A moon of the planet Saturn, discovered in 1980.
Grammar: Used in astronomy, with a capital letter and no article.
Patterns
- Prometheus orbits Saturn
Prometheus is one of the small inner moons that circle Saturn.
Astronomers study Prometheus because its gravity shapes one of Saturn's rings.
Common combinations
- the myth of Prometheus
- The myth of Prometheus warns that helping people can anger those in power.
- a modern Prometheus
- Critics described the engineer as a modern Prometheus.
- Prometheus stole fire
- In the legend, Prometheus stole fire and hid it in a hollow stalk.
- the punishment of Prometheus
- The punishment of Prometheus was to have his liver eaten every day.
- Prometheus unbound
- The poet wrote a play called Prometheus Unbound about freedom from tyranny.
Synonyms and how they differ
- Titan
- A Titan is any of the older Greek gods; Prometheus is one of them, so the word is broader and less specific.
- culture hero
- A culture hero is a figure in many mythologies who brings gifts such as fire or farming; Prometheus is the Greek example of this general type.
Word family
- Promethean adjective
- relating to Prometheus, or daring and original in a rebellious way, as in 'a Promethean effort'.
Commonly confused: Prometheus or Epimetheus? Prometheus or Proteus?
Prometheus vs Epimetheus
Epimetheus is Prometheus's brother in Greek myth; his name means 'hindsight', while Prometheus means 'foresight', so the two are easy to mix up.
Prometheus vs Proteus
Proteus is a different Greek sea god who kept changing shape; the names look similar but the stories are unrelated.
Practice
Which sentence uses the name correctly?
Choose one answer.
As a proper noun, Prometheus normally takes no article, so 'Prometheus stole fire from the gods' is right. Option 1 wrongly adds 'the', option 2 wrongly adds 'a', and option 3 repeats 'fire' awkwardly.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “Prometheus”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.