Prometheusand FireThere once lived a race of huge giants called Titans. These giants were fierce, violent, and lawless—fighting among themselves and against Zeus, the king of the gods.One of the Titans, Prometheus, was wiser than the rest. He often thought about what would be likely to happen in the future.One day, Prometheus said to his brother Titans, "What is the use of wasting so much strength? In the end, wisdom and forethoughtwill win. If we are going to fight against the gods, let us choose a leader and stop quarreling among ourselves."The Titans answered him bythrowing manyrocks and uprootedtrees.Prometheus, after escaping unhurt, said to his younger brother, "Epimetheus, we can do nothing among these Titans. If they keep on, they will tear the earth to pieces. Let us go and help Zeus to overcome them."Epimetheus agreed to this, and the two brothers went over to Zeus, who called the gods together and began a terrible battle. The Titans tore uphugestonesand cast them at the gods, while Zeus hurled his thunderbolts and his lightenings in all directions. Soon the sky was a sheet of flame, the sea boiled, the earth trembled, and the forests took fire and began to burn.At last the godsconquered the Titanswiththe help of Prometheus,whotookthe Titansto the ends of the earth, andkeptthem in a deep underground cavern. Neptune, the sea-god, made strongbronzegates with heavy bolts and bars to keep the giants down.AndZeus sent Briareus and his brothers, three giantswho all havefifty heads and a hundred hands, towatchthem.Only oneof the Titan,Atlas,was not shutin this cavern.Hispowerwas greater than that of his brothers,whilehis character was lessaggressive. He was made to stand and hold up the sky on his head and hands.As the Titans could now make no more trouble, there was peace and quiet on the earth. Nevertheless, Zeus said that, although the men who remained on the earth were not so strong as the Titans, they were foolish andevil. He declared that he would destroy them forever.When their king said this, none of the gods dared to say a word in defence of mankind. But Prometheus, the Titan, who was earth-born himself, and loved these menonthe earth, bagged Zeus toletthemgo, that Zeus consentedto do so.At this time, men lived in dark gloomy caves. Their friend, Prometheus taught them to build simple houses, which were much more comfortable than the caves had been. This was a great step forward. but men needed more help from the Titan. The beasts in the forests, and the great birds that build their nests on the rocks were strong; but men were weak.Theyhad no weapontodefend himselffrom the cruel animals.Prometheus said that man should have Zeus's wonderful flower of fire, which shone so brightly in the sky. So he took a hollowreed, went up to Olympus, stole the red flower of fire, and brought itdown to earth in his reed.After this, all the other creatures were afraid of man, for this red flower had made him stronger. Man drug iron out of the earth and by the help of his new fire made weapons that were sharper than the lion's teeth; he tamed the wild cattle by the fear of it, yokedthem together, and taught them how to draw the plough; he sharpened strong stakes, hardening them in its heat, and set them around his house as a defence from his enemies; he did many other things besides with the red flower that Prometheus had made to blossom at the end of the reed.Zeus, sitting on his throne, saw with alarm how strong man was becoming. One day he discovered the theft of his shining red flower, and knew that Prometheus was the thief. He was greatly displeased with this act."Prometheus loves man too well," said he, "he shall be punished." Then he called his two slaves, Strength and Force, and told them to take Prometheus and bind him fast to a great rock in the lonely Caucasian Mountains. At the same time he ordered Hephaestus to lock the Titan's chainsin a cunning(巧妙的)way that only Hephaestus knew.There Prometheus hung on the rock for hundreds of years. The sun shone on him pitilesslyby dayandonly thekindnight gave him shade. He heard the rushing wings of the seagulls, as they came to feed their young who cried from the rocks below. The sea nymphs floated up to his rock to give him their pity. An eagle, cruel as the king of the gods, came daily and tore him with his claws and beak(喙).But this frightful punishment did not last forever. Prometheus himself knew that some day he should be set free, and his knowledge made him strong to endure.At last the time came when Zeus's throne was in danger, and Prometheus, pitying his enemy, told him a secret which helped him to make everything safe again. After this, Zeus sent Hercules to shoot the eagle and to break the Titan's chains. So Prometheus was set free. 2.What did Prometheus used for holding the red flower of fire?