A different history of the engagement ring

The Titan Prometheus is usually regarded as one of the greatest friends of mankind, and the savior of all men. For when Zeus attempted to destroy the men of the Bronze Age through The Flood, he gave instructions to his son Deucalion 1, so that he could survive and mankind could start anew.

It has also been said that Prometheus taught men to sacrifice to the gods in a clever way, casting only a part of the victim into the fire, and keeping the rest for their own food. It is told that Prometheus deceived Zeus with a trickery concerning the part which should be sacrificed to the god and the part which would remain for men. For Prometheus concealed the different parts in a certain way, and having given Zeus the chance to choose among them, the god, without any forethought, chose just the bones for his half. They believe that it was because of this trickery that Zeus decided to hide the fire, and prevent men to use it.

Now, when Cronos was king in heaven, the OLYMPIANS fought a war against him, and having dethroned him, gave the rule to Zeus, who punished both Cronos and the TITANS that supported his cruel order. Prometheus, himself a Titan, forewarned by the Titaness Themis, who knew that neither the brute nor the violent would prevail, rallied with her to the side of Zeus, who finally prevailed.

The new ruler proceeded then to apportion to the gods their prerogatives, but the race of man, which some assert was molded out of water and earth by Prometheus himself, he purposed to destroy. It was then that Prometheus, out of compassion for that wretched breed of mortals, planted blind hope in their hearts, and having stolen fire from heaven—which he hid in a stalk of fennel—, gave it to men, teaching them many arts and handicrafts.

For this audacious deed, Prometheus paid a high price, being severely punished by the Zeus, the new king of heaven. But among men he came to be called 'benefactor'.

When Zeus learned about the theft, he ordered Hephaestus to nail Prometheus's body to Mount Caucasus, which he did with the help of Cratos (Power) and Bia (Force), but some affirm that it was Hermes who nailed Prometheus.

On a rock in that mountain, Prometheus was kept bound for many years. And every day an eagle swooped on him and devoured the lobes of his liver, which grew by night as much as the eagle had devoured during the day.

Being a Titan, Prometheus should be immortal by birth (a sad privilege since ages of torture awaited him).

Prometheus is also admired for his resistance against what he perceived as the tyranny and ingratitude of Zeus. Though chained to a rock, he was not deprived of means of resistance:

For Zeus contemplated, at the time, marriage with Thetis. And there was a prediction about this nereid, which the god ignored: That her son would be greater than his father.

And if that secret were not revealed to Zeus, he would be hurled from his throne as Cronos had been before him. Being in possession of this secret Prometheus warned the god, declaring that he would provide him with vital information if he would free him from his chains. When the god accepted the bargain, Prometheus advised Zeus not to wed Thetis, for if one greater than he were born he might become the ruler of heaven in Zeus' place.

This is why Thetis was given in marriage to Peleus, being delivered of a child Achilles, who became greater than his father.

When the agreement was reached, Heracles was sent to kill the eagle that ate Prometheus 's heart or liver, and release the prisoner after thirty thousand years of torture.

It is said that Zeus did not release Prometheus from all binding, since he had sworn to that, but for commemoration bade him bind his finger with stone and iron; and that is why, men adopted the custom of wearing rings fashioned of stone and iron, that they may seem to appease Prometheus.

Similarly, it has been said that Prometheus wore a wreath, as if to claim that he as victor had revolted and yet did not suffer punishment for ever. And so the practice began of wearing wreaths at time of victory or rejoicing.