Myth
Pyrrha was yet another woman that captured the attention of Zeus. He pursued her relentlessly, causing Pyrrha to run further and further, as far as her mortal body could take her. Fleeing across grass, sand, water, and finally rock, she found herself atop Mount Elbrus. Forced to withstand the cruel winds, she felt true hopelessness. There was no escape when the king of the gods finally found her:
“Why do you run so, woman? Our union is meant to be, for you were named after the colour of fire. Flame, one of the greatest tools of the gods, unfairly given to you humans by that thief, Prometheus. It is only right to claim what is mine.”
And though lightning flashed and thunder crackled, Pyrrha then gave a dangerous reply:
“I do not belong to you any more than fire does. Fire was a blessing bestowed upon us and we have harnessed its power for our own. How our crops grow, how our animals thrive. Our homes are now filled with heat and we fear the darkness no longer.”
In an instant, the already severe storm worsened as Zeus gathered his wrath:
“You dare believe that you are equal to an immortal? Prometheus is a titan and he still faced unbearable punishment for his wrongdoings. I shall also remind you that you were birthed by your fool of a mother, Pandora. I deliberately gave her to Epimetheus and she is the sole reason why mankind suffers.”
Then the winds snapped to a halt and a sudden deafening silence filled the air.
“Perhaps I shall let you go, just as I let fire slip between my fingertips. But not without a cost. Since you are so prideful of mankind’s achievements, just as Prometheus was, they will remain the reason for your downfall. Unlike Prometheus, there will be no Heracles to save you. The warmth that you seek from fire will be the inevitable destruction of your race.”
And so, Zeus’s curse befell Pyrrha and indirectly, all of mankind. For every instance of fire used, warmth would permanently escape to the sky, causing the air to become hotter and hotter, ultimately suffocating the human race with the very heat they craved.
Analysis
Since the origin of mankind, we have burned things; it is in our very nature. Our ability to utilize fire is arguably the greatest trait that distinguishes us from other animals on this planet. Fire provides the basis for life, it is a necessity in numerous ways: cooking, heating, and building. And according to myth, it was the gift of fire that allowed for humans to reach the heights of civilization. Even now, we greatly rely on it, most evidently as a source of energy that has become essential to daily life as a result of technological advances. Yet it is also the act of burning that has lead to global warming, namely the trapping of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere and the long-term heating of the planet. My composition is a mythological narrative that presents the idea that global warming is the result of Zeus cursing Pyrrha, the daughter of Pandora, out of anger due to rejection and long-held resentment over the theft of fire.
First and foremost, the most relevant myth referenced in this story is the one of Prometheus and the punishment he faces after his theft of fire. Originally, fire is already known to mankind and Zeus hides it out of anger, prompting Prometheus to steal it back. This results in Zeus promising to punish men heavily in retribution (Hesiod, Theogony 571-572). This remains an important constant in my myth because it shows that there is a clear, negative consequence of the actions by Prometheus. The resentment he caused in Zeus remains deeply rooted and this is evident by the interaction I chose to create between Zeus and Pyrrha. Although the story initially seems to be Zeus simply pursuing Pyrrha, he reveals the importance of her name: it originates from the Greek adjective, purrhos, meaning “flame-coloured” (Liddell and Scott). Thus there is a strong association between Pyrrha and fire, and Zeus’s motivations are better explained. In terms of character choice, Pyrrha represents the ambitions of mankind fulfilled through the use of fire.
Another important aspect I attempted to highlight in my myth is the juxtaposition between man and nature. Throughout the story, the climate is vividly described. Pyrrha is a mortal and a single individual, so the sheer overwhelming atmosphere of the environment is obvious. This is another detail that I chose to imitate from one of the ancient sources by choosing the same setting, Mount Elbrus. For example, “Now the whole earth cries aloud in lamentation;” (Aeschylus, Prometheus Bound 407), uses personification to liken the earth to an emotional being. Often in Greek myths, this points directly to Gaia, the goddess of the earth and one of the earliest immortal figures born from creation, hence she is described as “unbegotten and self-delivered” (Nonnus, Dionysiaca 29. 243). This adds to the idea that earth, and nature itself, is inherently the dominant force in existence. There is irony in the fact that while human activity is the reason for the destruction of the environment, the eventual natural consequences in the form of extreme weather and landscape changes will cause the extinction of us. In the end, the great civilization of mankind will simply disappear due to a much greater force.
One mythic innovation Aeschylus made in his plays based on the original source by Hesiod was the exclusion of Pandora’s story. I chose to incorporate it instead because it provides another insightful connection to the story of Prometheus. Further delving into Zeus’s anger towards Prometheus, he promises that he will make it so that men will “embrace their own destruction” (Hesiod, Works and Days 54-59), implying that humans will be the cause of their own downfall. And so Pandora and her box are delivered to Epimetheus, the brother of Prometheus, who foolishly accepts the gift and releases evils upon the world. It is important to note that Prometheus had predicted this situation, foreshadowing the harm that would be done to mankind (Hesiod, Works and Days 84-90). This aligns with his role as the titan god of forethought, the very opposite of his brother Epimetheus, who is the god of afterthought.
As a result, the myth makes use of this binary relationship to communicate that even when anticipating the future, such consideration is useless if it is unable to prevent the consequences in the first place. Examining the characteristics of Prometheus and Epimetheus, if they are indeed representative of human nature, they represent two sides of the same coin. They may contradict each other but they also coexist, drawing parallels to another theme of intelligence and ignorance. This was also portrayed through the character and dialogue of Pyrrha. She understands and appreciates the benefits fire provides but she is unaware of how dangerous it is to boast in front of Zeus. In this way, she is a clear example of a flawed person.
This connects to the reality that currently, although people understand that the impact of their actions extends globally, the majority seem unable to reflect upon their individual behaviour. Global warming is labelled as a problem of the future but the truth is that the future will one day become the present. So just like the story of Pandora, we are subject to fate, to a destiny that may have been predetermined long ago because of the actions of our ancestors. Or if we are able to avoid it, the fate that we will hand down to future generations, similar to Pyrrha receiving a curse partially due to a coincidental association to a past event. This idea of intergenerational consequence is similar to how the ancient Greeks believed that each generation of gods overthrew the previous one. An example of this would be the declaration of Prometheus to Zeus stating that he knew who would be the cause of his potential downfall (Aeschylus, Prometheus Pyrphoros). Although such knowledge is valuable, following the rules of myth, if the event truly were to happen, it would be inevitable. Paradoxically, this type of knowledge is unable to provide solutions but rather creates further instability and extreme change. This is similar to how Pyrrha’s curse will affect all of mankind yet she is powerless and cannot stop the changes that will occur.
A brief reference made in the latter half of the myth is the rescue of Prometheus by Heracles. Pyrrha is directly told by Zeus that no hero will be able to save her from her curse and this directly reflects the hopelessness of global warming. Increasing awareness and efforts to prevent further harm on our planet is a goal but it may be too late. Realistically, there is no easy solution to global warming so although cynical, the concluding tone of the myth is reasonably tragic.
Works Cited
Evelyn-White, H G. Loeb, trans. 1914. Hesiod, Theogony. Classical Library Volume 57. London: William Heinemann.
Evelyn-White, H G. Loeb, trans. 1914. Hesiod, Works and Days. Classical Library Volume 57. London: William Heinemann.
Liddell, Henry George, and Robert Scott. “Πυρρός (purrhos).” A Greek-English Lexicon, Oxford Clarendon Press. www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.04.0057%3Aentry.
Rouse, W H D, trans. 1940. Nonnus, Dionysiaca. Loeb Classical Library Volumes 344, 354, 356. Cambridge, MA, Harvard University Press.
Smyth, Herbert Weir, trans. 1926. Aeschylus, Prometheus Bound. Loeb Classical Library Volumes 145 & 146. Cambridge, MA. Harvard Universrity Press.
Smyth, Herbert Weir, trans. 1926. Aeschylus, Prometheus Pyrphoros. Loeb Classical Library Volumes 145 & 146. Cambridge, MA. Harvard Universrity Press.