Prophet Prometheus - (2)
Even if we stop Prometheus's punishment, he is unlikely to help us, given the deep grudge he holds against Zeus. He would probably refuse to speak of Gaia's intentions or his prophecies, offering only scorn instead. It's uncertain whether his love for humanity outweighs his anger toward Zeus.
Returning to the underworld, I moved quickly, leaving the citadel behind.
Exiting the pitch-black citadel and heading to the outskirts of the underworld, I soon came upon a quiet path. If I continued north, to the edge of my domain, where few souls ever venture...
After walking for some time along a narrow trail that only one or two people could pass at a time, a soul emerged from a small house. It was a beautiful female soul, her beauty rivaling that of many goddesses.
"Pandora. Would you hear me out for a moment?"
"...What brings you here?"
She was the first woman created by the gods, a justification for the great flood that Zeus unleashed to punish humanity.
Driven by a moment of curiosity, she unleashed all manner of evils—disease, disaster, and anger—upon the world. She was Pandora, wife of Prometheus's brother, Epimetheus.
Pandora led me inside her home and offered me a seat.
"What brings the lord of the underworld to a lowly human like me?"
"A lowly human? Nonsense. You are the first woman, blessed by many gods. Don’t speak so humbly."
Her husband, Epimetheus, being an immortal Titan, still lives in the mortal world, though in seclusion. But Pandora perished during the great flood that Zeus had unleashed.
When Pandora arrived in the underworld, she realized she had been used by the gods, and she despaired. Although much time has passed and her bitterness may have lessened, at that time, even after crossing the River Lethe, she retained her memories.
Feeling pity for her situation, I offered to erase her memories, but she chose to live on the outskirts of the underworld, retaining her memories without being reborn.
Convincing Pandora to help me now...
"I'm planning to end Prometheus's long punishment."
"...I see."
"But I need a reason that will satisfy Zeus. That's why I'm asking for your help in persuading Prometheus."
I explained everything to Pandora—about Gaia being our enemy, about seeking Prometheus's prophetic power, and how I planned to free him and gain his cooperation.
After hearing my explanation, Pandora sighed softly and replied calmly.
"You have been kind to me, Hades, but I still have no desire to do anything that benefits Olympus."
I had shown Pandora kindness by frequently bringing her news of her husband, Epimetheus, who still lived in the mortal world, and vice versa. Though they could not meet, I remember how they rejoiced in hearing about each other.
Epimetheus, who wandered the world in seclusion, was difficult to locate, but whenever he received news of Pandora, the messenger reported how much it pleased him.
"After all, wasn’t I created by the gods to punish humanity for receiving fire?"
"I won’t deny it. You were created because Zeus was angered by Prometheus giving fire to mankind."
The gods had endowed Pandora with countless blessings and created her as a trap to eventually destroy humanity.
"So why should I help the gods who used me to bring ruin to mankind?"
Pandora’s expression remained unchanged as she spoke. She, the first woman, cherished and loved her descendants, humanity.
She had borne a daughter, Pyrrha, with Epimetheus, and Pyrrha married Deucalion, becoming the ancestor of a new race of humans. Thus, Pandora's bitterness was likely a mix of resentment toward the gods for destroying humanity and guilt for having been used.
"Couldn’t it be possible that Gaia and her Gigantes ruling the world would be better for humanity?"
"The Gigantes eat humans. In the city where my temple stands, they kidnapped people to use as sacrifices."
"...Is that so."
Although Pandora was willing to listen because of the favors I had shown her, convincing her to help was another matter.
"There will never be another great flood like that again. Even if Zeus tries to destroy humanity once more, I will stop him."
"...Hades, would you truly oppose Zeus?"
"Only if the reason is as unjust as it was before—punishing humanity just because they received fire."
Back then, Olympus was still in its early stages, and we needed to establish the king of the gods' authority. It wasn’t until Pandora’s box was opened, unleashing evil into the world, that I realized she had been artificially created by Olympus.
Out of respect for Zeus, I had only expressed concerns and refrained from outright objections. Zeus, in turn, respected me enough to allow Pandora and Epimetheus to communicate.
"He let me continue providing Pandora with assistance here in the underworld as well."
"Let me show you how your daughter Pyrrha and her husband Deucalion’s descendants are living."
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I shared with Pandora a glimpse of the mortal world, a vision I frequently observed. Through my eyes, she could see the people living in Thebes.
Despite the chaos caused by King Oedipus’s madness, Thebes had prospered. Thanks to the blessings of wealth I had bestowed, there was little hunger, and the people spoke of the gods' blessings.
"Today, I plan to pray at Morpheus’s shrine in the temple of Pluto."
"Did you have a good dream last night?"
"I’m hoping it was a prophetic dream about a profitable venture..."
"The mint that the god of mercy, Pluto, has given us makes even the air in the graveyards smell sweet."
"Oh, come on... You’re exaggerating."
"You’d understand if you worked as a gravekeeper. The stench before was unbearable..."
"I’m from Athens, but how did Thebes come to worship... er, serve Pluto?"
"Haven’t you heard of the mint? Not only that, but when a devotee is threatened by a monster, he descends himself to protect them..."
"The lord of the underworld... the god of mercy?"
Ahem... I sometimes think the people talk about me too much. But in Thebes, my name is second only to Zeus, so it’s understandable.
"So many people invoke your name, Hades. The god of mercy..."
"...It just happened to turn out that way."
Pandora widened her eyes as she observed the mortals in the world above. What was she thinking as she watched her descendants?
"The reason I descended to Thebes was because of the Gigantes, who served Gaia."
"......"
"I barely managed to save one of my followers who had been captured and was about to be killed."
"Gaia’s servants..."
"Yes, that’s why I intend to seek Prometheus's advice to counter Gaia’s prophetic power."
Pandora closed her eyes, deep in thought. All I could do was hope that her love for humanity outweighed her hatred of the gods.
Time passed as long as it would take to drain a cup of Dionysus’s wine. Finally, Pandora opened her eyes, having made her decision.
She fetched a scroll of parchment and a quill from within her home and began writing something diligently. Then, she removed the golden necklace she was wearing and handed it to me along with the parchment.
"Give this to Prometheus. It should help persuade him."
"...Thank you."
The golden necklace of Pandora was a unique treasure, the only one of its kind in the world. It was a symbol given to her at her creation by the Graces, the three goddesses of charm who served Aphrodite, and by Peitho, the goddess of persuasion.
The letter I would deliver to Prometheus would bear the seal of Pandora, and the necklace would serve as proof of her sincerity. This would surely convince Prometheus.
As Pandora handed me the letter and necklace, she suddenly paused, then spoke quickly.
"But don’t think for a moment that this means I’ve forgiven the gods or that I’m siding with them."
"Then..."
"I just believe it’s better for humanity to be under the current gods’ rule than under the Gigantes. And..."
Pandora hesitated, her lips trembling slightly.
"...If the gods try to destroy humanity again, you said you’d stop them."
I realized then that my long-standing kindness to Pandora had paid off. Perhaps, unintentionally, I had managed to sway her over the years.
"I’ll trust the kindness you’ve shown me, Hades."
Initially, I had considered seeking help from her husband, Epimetheus, but finding him would have been difficult given his constant wandering and reclusion.
"You’re trusting me, not Olympus. Is that okay?"
"The lord of the underworld wouldn’t deceive a lowly human, would he?"
"...I’m truly grateful. If Prometheus is persuaded, it will be thanks to you."
The slight smile on the face of the first woman... Was she acting out of love for humanity, or was it guilt for having unleashed disaster upon them?
"Don’t expect too much. I only wrote what I saw, heard, and felt in that city called Thebes."
"That will be more than enough."
Having convinced Pandora, who had once cursed the gods for using her to destroy humanity, I was hopeful that this would also influence Prometheus’s feelings.
Now all that remained was to deliver Pandora’s letter and necklace to Prometheus myself. No matter what, I would persuade him.